


Comfort Reads

by IchigoOtaku



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Library AU, M/M, Modern Setting, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-07 13:11:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 35,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18411329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IchigoOtaku/pseuds/IchigoOtaku
Summary: Hanzo Shimada enjoys a good cowboy romance from time to time, especially anything written by Joel Morricone. Working as an architect in the city, Hanzo's newest assignment is to remodel the local library. While he is looking forward to the challenges, he meets Jesse McCree.(Chapter 10 is a sappy author's note, just a heads up.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my McHanzo Big Bang 18-19 entry! I hope you enjoy the story. A huuuuge thank you to my art partners, Sorachu and ishiyan! You can find their art here:
> 
> Sorachu: https://sorachudoodles.tumblr.com/post/184091684713/comfort-reads-by-ichigo-otaku-my-art-piece-for
> 
> ishiyan: https://twitter.com/_ishiyan_/status/1116132958778417154
> 
> Please go tell them how amazing their art looks and follow them! They have been so kind and supportive during this project and deserve so much praise.
> 
> ALSO HAPPY NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK! I'm so happy this is being posted during this time, please support your local libraries!

In the middle of his morning routine, Hanzo Shimada receives a text message from his supervisor. It contains simple directions, head to the library, manager has to move the meeting up. A following message contains contact information for the library manager, Jack Morrison, and gives Hanzo an estimated arrival time of about 9am, which is presumably the time the library opens. Hanzo sighs over his morning cup of coffee while he reads the message, feeling the usual sting of a minor inconvenience when it comes to moments like this. But he decides to rationalize the trip with a promise to himself; now he can stop at the bakery for a quick, sweet snack.

He keeps to his usual schedule while getting ready for the rest of the day. He is ready to go by 8:22, and after double checking his work bag to ensure he has all of his materials and tools, he has just enough time to sit and enjoy the morning for about five minutes. His eyes are immediately drawn to the book sitting in an inconspicuous place by the plant he keeps in the window, and he hesitates to reach for it out of fear that he might get wrapped up in the contents. Hanzo decides against giving into the temptation, choosing to check his work email and any messages from his coworkers. He will have time to read later.

After one last check around the apartment, Hanzo heads out the door. The library is a quick walk from his apartment building, and with his bakery pit stop, Hanzo expects to be getting there just in time if he runs late. He might even have time to sit in the bakery and eat whatever he can find. He is hoping for their local creation, a fruity danish with a hefty drizzle of icing on top.

As he steps outside, Hanzo stops to pull his jacket tighter around his body. Fall has started to drop the city temperatures, and while he isn’t particularly bothered by the cold, he isn’t ready for the weather change. He takes a moment to glance around the street, admiring the color changes before he starts to walk down the street.

Between daydreams about his pastry breakfast, Hanzo tries to focus on his work. The library had contacted his company roughly a week prior, asking for a quote and inquiries about remodels both inside and out. When he had been given the assignment, Hanzo realized he hadn’t made any efforts to visit the library since he moved to the city a few years back. Even from a reader’s point of view, Hanzo never considered browsing the collection at the library. He isn’t particular about his books, but he only has a few authors that catch his eye, and he tells himself he never has a use for the other services the library offers when he could easily go to his office.

Regardless, he is interested in seeing the challenge the library may possess. Most of his clients required only one specialty, choosing to focus on the interior design or outdoor exteriors at separate times. From the messages Hanzo has received, the manager of the library has implied there are many things that need to be done in both specialties. Hanzo specializes in both, but his supervisor had mentioned the job might pose a few new challenges. Jack Morrison hadn’t sent a list of things that needed to be done. Hanzo expects it to be the first topic of discussion at the meeting.

He puts his concerns about work on hold when he walks into the bakery. The older man behind the counter turns his head and smiles when he sees Hanzo coming through the door. “Ah, good morning Hanzo!”

“Good morning Reinhardt,” Hanzo says as he walks up to the display case. He directs his gaze to the baked goods behind the glass. “I am surprised to see you still have an impressive selection at this hour. I would have expected you to be sold out of most of your inventory.”

Reinhardt gives him a laugh. “I just put a fresh batch of our pastries out about ten minutes ago. There are a few cookie varieties in the oven right now,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest as he watches Hanzo look. “I am surprised, my friend. I thought you would want the usual?”

“Oh, I do. I just thought I would appreciate the selection in front of me,” Hanzo chuckles. Reinhardt gives him a laugh before he continues. “Could I get one Lion’s Mane please?”

“Of course! Strawberry as usual?” Reinhardt asks. Hanzo hums just loud enough for Reinhardt to hear, watching as Reinhardt opens the display and grabs a pastry with a piece of parchment paper. The pastry he grabs is a round puff pastry, filled in the center with a good helping of strawberries and glaze. The icing on top is an added touch Reinhardt tried recently, at Hanzo’s suggestion. “Anything else I can get for you, my friend?”

“That will be all for now, but thank you.” Hanzo finds his wallet in his bag while Reinhardt rings him out, handing over cash and a frequent buyer card. 

Reinhardt laughs when he stamps the card with a marker, holding it up for Hanzo as he hands over the pastry. “One more visit and you’ll have your next breakfast on us!”

“That is the goal,” Hanzo jokes. “Depending on how this meeting goes, I may have to make another stop on my way home this afternoon.”

Another laugh, Reinhardt slapping his hand down on the counter. “You are always welcome here, my friend. I hope your meeting goes well.”

“Thank you Reinhardt. Have a good day,” Hanzo says as he waves. Reinhardt returns the gesture and watches as Hanzo walks out the door. 

Hanzo doesn’t waste a second pulling the pastry from the parchment, taking a bite as he walks past the store front of the bakery. He gives Reinhardt a thumbs up as he eats, which earns him another laugh he can hear through the glass.  
The library isn’t too far from from the bakery, so Hanzo takes his time as he eats. He has plenty of time to eat his pastry as he walks, so he tries to savor it. Hanzo quickly licks his fingers after swallowing the last bite, carefully folding the tissue paper pouch and tucking it into his bag until he can find a trash can. By then, he is turning onto the street the library is on. His mind is refocusing on the task at hand.

Hanzo thinks to give Jack Morrison a call when his phone goes off in his pocket. There is a text message from an unknown number waiting for a reply; Morrison here. Tell me when here. Ill let u in employee entrance.

Hanzo raises an eyebrow, partically wondering if Morrison has seen him coming. He also wonders why Morrison would choose to text him instead of call, but he chooses not to dwell on it. Texting Jack back, Hanzo tries to keep it simple: Outside the library now. Where is the employee entrance?

It takes a minute for Morrison to respond. South side. Reyes will let u in.

He doesn’t recognize the second name, but he assumes this person must be part of the staff. As he heads to the south side of the building, he almost wonders what he’s gotten himself into. 

Rounding a corner, Hanzo sees a nearby door open up, and a man peeks out at him. This man looks grumpy and part of his expression is hidden under a ragged looking black beanie. “You Shimada?” the man asks.

“Yes. I presume you are Reyes?” Hanzo asks in return.

Reyes grunts while stepping in front of the door to hold it open. “Gabriel. Call me whatever you’re comfortable with. Nice to meet you.”

“My name is Hanzo,” he says while extending a hand towards Reyes. Gabriel grabs Hanzo’s hand and they shake for just a moment. Hanzo is a little surprised when the other man’s expression doesn’t change. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well.”

“You ever visit the library before?” Reyes asks.

“I have not, actually.”

“Ah, well then. Welcome. Take a left at that open doorway.”

Reyes doesn’t talk much as he leads Hanzo into the building. They go through a few doors and areas “Staff Only” and they don’t pass anyone else along the way. Hanzo stays quiet as he follows Reyes through the restricted areas. When Reyes does speak up, Hanzo nearly jumps. “Meeting room is a little small, if you don’t care?”

“No, it is not an issue,” Hanzo answers.

“Good because we’d have to move to the teen zone for more space, and quite frankly that’s the worst place to be when the doors open in about five minutes.”

Hanzo holds back a laugh, uncertain if Reyes is joking or if he is stating a fact. “I apologize if I have arrived too early?”

Reyes lets out a noise that Hanzo thinks is supposed to be a laugh, but it doesn’t really sound right. “Nah, you’re alright. Jack just didn’t expect you to be here yet, so he’s still waiting in his office. Hardly ever comes out of it honestly.” The last part of his statement is muttered, but still loud enough for Hanzo to hear. Hanzo doesn’t ask about it it though as Reyes stops at a closed door in the hallway. “I’ll go grab him if you want to make yourself comfortable here.”

“Thank you,” Hanzo says, waiting as Reyes opens the door and flips a light switch inside the room. Reyes doesn’t acknowledge his words as he turns down the hall and walks away. Hanzo walks into the room and notes that it is in fact rather small, only big enough for a table and several chairs. There is a window, but the blinds are down and hardly let any light in. In the corner of the room stands a presentation area, though from the looks of it, the space is hardly used. He takes a seat near the door because he isn’t really sure where else to sit unless Morrison tells him otherwise.

He isn’t alone for very long. He can hear two people coming down the hall before they appear in the doorway. A man with silver hair cut thin is looking behind himself as he walks into the room, seemingly in the middle of an argument. “Just tell Ana we need her help next week, she doesn’t have to come in this weekend.”

“I’ll try, but scheduling your volunteers isn’t part of my job,” Reyes grumbles as he follows the other man into the room.

Hanzo starts to stand. “Jack Morrison?”

The other man looks at Hanzo and nods, extending a hand to shake the one Hanzo is holding out to him. “That’d be me. You must be Hanzo Shimada?”

“That is correct,” Hanzo says.

Morrison motions for Hanzo to sit before glancing at Reyes. “You want to sit in on this too?”

Reyes is leaning against the door frame, and he shrugs as he crosses his arms over his chest. “You want me here? How long are you two planning on talking?”

“Long enough to figure out a few things,” Jack says, and Hanzo finds his noncommittal response slightly troublesome. “I can always give you the details later.”

Reyes opens his mouth to give an answer, but a two way radio resting on his hip chirps to life, a woman’s voice coming through. “Gabe, we’ve got a sleeper outside the front door. It’s Richards.”

Morrison and Reyes both sag at the information. “Goddamnit. It’s too early to be dealing with his nonsense already,” Reyes says while pushing himself away from the door frame. “Tell me about the meeting later. I better go make sure he doesn’t try to start anything.”

Hanzo watches as Reyes leaves, then turn to Morrison with an eyebrow raised. “Is this a common occurrence?” he asks.

“You have no idea,” Morrison groans as he rubs his face. He sighs before giving Hanzo a more serious look, a sign that he is ready to get down to business, and Hanzo’s concerns are generally eased as he starts talking. “Let’s get started. How familiar are you with the building as it currently stands?”

\--

Their meeting runs for roughly an hour. After discussing a variety of ideas and necessary projects needed within the library, Jack decides he’s given Hanzo enough to think about. “I will have an estimate of each project to you as they come. I like to send a few estimates at a time, if that is alright with you,” Hanzo says as he gathers some of the papers they have traded. “I would not want to overload you or your budget with a complete total unless you request so.”

“Send them as you come up with them, if you don’t mind. I will try to respond in a timely manner, but I’m not really big on checking emails unless I’m sitting at my desk,” Jack says with a shrug. “If you have any questions or need to get a hold of me in a hurry, you have my cell phone number.”

“Do you prefer calls or text messages?” Hanzo asks.

“Whatever is easier for you,” Jack says. 

Hanzo makes a mental note to text Jack before he stands. Jack stands too, extending a hand towards Hanzo for a handshake. “I will keep in contact. If you do not mind, I would like to take a tour of the building before I leave as well,” Hanzo says.

“Ah, sure. Do you want me to take you around? Or would you be alright going at it on your own? I have some other business to check.”

“It is not a problem, I can find my way around. But I thank you.”

Jack nods, and before he can say anything else, Reyes walks by the door again. “Oh, you two are still in a meeting? I figured Jack would have tried to get out as quickly as possible,” he says when he peers into the room.

“Gabe…”

Hanzo chuckles. “We are just wrapping up. If it is alright, though, would you lead me back to the exit?” he asks.

Gabe looks at Jack for a moment before he nods to Hanzo. “Sure thing. Follow me.”

Hanzo thanks Jack again before he leaves the room, following Gabe back the way they originally came in. Gabe doesn’t say anything as he walks ahead of Hanzo, but he stops at the exit door. “Need an escort back to your car or anything?”

“No, I actually walked here. And I’d like to explore the building to see what I might be working with, if that is alright,” Hanzo says.

Gabe grunts as he nods. “Yeah, sure. If you have any questions, the circulation desk is on the main floor with us. Just look out for anyone wearing a name badge.”

“Thank you, I will.”

He goes through the last “Staff Only” door alone, Reyes giving him a quick and nearly muted goodbye as he closes the door behind Hanzo. Hanzo stands still to look around the area for a minute, taking in as many details as he can. He finds himself in a larger room divided by a few bookshelves, a desk, and a few tables. The only person in the room is a staff member, clearly engulfed in whatever work they have. Hanzo doesn’t bother them, slowly making his way across the room to look at the shelves/ He notices some of them have a sign hanging above them’ “These materials are for reference use only. Please do not check them out.”

He wanders through other rooms of the library. Once he is past the reference shelves, he notices the fiction selection is drawn out through a couple different areas. Immediately outside of the reference area is historical fiction, as far as Hanzo can tell. He follows a shelf of science fiction towards the one computer lab Jack had mentioned to him during their meeting. This computer lab is almost completely exposed, and Hanzo can see two adults browsing job searching websites just two computers apart from one another. He briefly wonders what kind of job services the library provides and makes a note to ask about it the next time he talks to Jack.

There is a glassed off room for computers. Hanzo notices most of them are already occupied, but there are still a few that have a colored screen with the library’s logo bouncing from corner to corner. This computer lab is almost completely exposed, so Hanzo can see another doorway that leads to a more private computer lab. He’ll have to study them both in further detail at another time, perhaps do more research about the impact of computer usage on libraries.

As he continues to wander around adult fiction, he finds a few of the structures Jack mentioned during their meeting. A few help desks are scattered throughout the floor, but he finds the check out desks are immediately available at the exits. The one he comes across stands alongside a staircase, multiple signs indicating the upper floor contains materials for a younger audience. The woman working at the desk is busy with a stack of books, but when she turns to the computer closest to her, she catches a glimpse of Hanzo. “Oh, good morning! Did you need help finding anything?” she asks.

Hanzo shakes his head. “Just browsing. But thank you,” he says.

“No problem, just let us know if there is anything we can do for you,” she says in return before returning to her work. Hanzo watches her for just a moment before he starts to roam again. He intends to see as much of the library as he can before he goes back to work.

Hanzo walks into another room with various types of shelves. Some reach the ceiling, but the books do not go all the way to the top shelves. Others are stuffed completely with books, but they are much smaller and generally have a few on display on the top. There are more areas for people to sit, likely to enjoy the books they are finding for a short time. He admires the space before going on to the next room.

Browsing through the titles in each room has Hanzo thinking of those he hasn’t had a chance to read yet. He feels his curiosity growing, and he can’t help wondering if there might be a selection of new releases. He’d fallen behind in his recent reads, and one particular author comes to mind as his mind flashes back to the book he left in his windowsill this morning. Hanzo contemplates his choices, looks at the time, then decides he’ll try to find the western books after all. Perhaps he should even look in the romance section?

He is able to find the westerns with ease. The romances seem to be shelved in another location he hasn’t found yet, but he decides to try and find his favorites on his own. He anticipates the two genres will have a smaller collection, and he isn’t wrong with his assumptions about the western selection. But he is determined, and he finds a book that catches his eye almost immediately. Just as he reaches to pull it off the shelf though, a voice calls out to him.

“Morning. Need any help looking for anything?”

Hanzo spins around and immediately feels his face flush. Embarrassment is the first thing he worries about, and he doesn’t know how he managed to let someone sneak up on him when he has been so careful to keep his literary interests in check in the past. But all of his thoughts are gone when he sees just who is speaking to him. The person who is standing behind him is a handsome man, roughly his age but taller. He has dark brown hair, almost chocolate colored, and his eyes are a shade of brown that doesn’t quite match. Hanzo finds himself drawn to them most of all. With a full beard and mustache to match his hair, the man has broad shoulders and a bigger build. Not really a large man, but he has a good mixture of muscle tone and fat from what Hanzo can see. And he is looking right back at Hanzo with a warm, welcoming smile.

Hanzo has to remind himself not to stare. He realizes the man is waiting for an answer, so he clears his throat to snap himself out of his own daze.. “Ah, no, I-I was just browsing.”

The man hums, shifting so he touches the book cart he is standing next to with both of his hands. “I was just about to shelve some of these. Think you might want to look at them too?”

“Oh, I…”

He thinks it might be best to leave, in case he is in the way. But his brain is processing a few different reactions, and the first one to come out is not what he intended. He hears the words leave his mouth before he is able to conjure them in his brain. “I was looking to see if you might have any books by Joel Morricone.” 

A new wave of embarrassment washes over him, and he can feel his hand twitch because he would really like to smack himself in that exact moment. Why did he say that? What possessed him to reveal his interests so freely?

The man chuckles, but he is shaking his head. “Unfortunately, we don’t have much by him. But I can point you in the direction of some similar authors?” he suggests. He moves closer to the shelves, standing next to Hanzo as he scans the books. Hanzo simply watches. “How about Thiess? He’s a pretty popular author, and he’s written some great westerns.”

He starts to grab a couple books off the shelf, which prompts Hanzo to clear his throat again. “Uh, my apologies. I should have introduced myself sooner. I am Hanzo Shimada. I am the architect hired to work on the renovations,” Hanzo says.

The man stops, looks at Hanzo as he is reaching out to pull a book. He blinks once before cracking a smile again. “Oh. Oh right! Jack mentioned you’d be coming in today to talk about that,” he laughs. He puts the books back on the shelves and turns toward Hanzo with a hand outstretched for a handshake. “The name’s Jesse McCree. It’s a pleasure meeting you.”

"The same to you," Hanzo says as he shakes Jesse's hand. He tries to ignore the excited scream in his head as their skin touches. "I apologize for not introducing myself first."

"It's alright, sometimes we all have other things on our minds," Jesse says with a wink. Hanzo's throat constricts and his heart skips a beat at the gesture. "I'll take it the meeting with Jack is already over then. Are you taking a tour around the place?"

"Yes, I thought I would take an opportunity to look at it before I head back to the office," Hanzo says. "It is a beautiful library."

"Thank you kindly. Could definitely use some improvements though, so I look forward to seeing what you come up with," Jesse says with a nod. "Now, back to the book recommendations..."

“Actually,” Hanzo starts before Jesse can reach towards the shelf again. “I do not have a library card, so I would not be able to check out any of the materials you recommend.”

Jesse seems to be surprised by the revelation. “Ah, we can fix that then,” he says. He moves the book cart closer to a wall before telling Hanzo to follow him. “We usually require a photo ID for a library card. Happen to have that on you today?”

“Of course,” Hanzo says. They make their way back to the circulation desk, where the woman is still engrossed in her work. She casts a glance at him and smiles, seemingly delighted to see him back. Jesse is behind the desk now, producing a pen and paper to slide towards Hanzo. Hanzo gives Jesse his photo ID before he starts to fill out the form. “What are the checkout limitations?”

“We’ll get to that in a second. Let me just get your application started.” Jesse takes a position behind a second computer, glancing at Hanzo’s ID as he types. “By the way, I didn’t get to tell you what I do here either. I’m the circulation manager.”

“Oh?” Hanzo asks, looking up from the application.

“Jack mentioned having me come to the meeting to meet you, but we had someone on our shelving team call off. I figured Jack could fill me in on the details later,” Jesse says. “But I apologize for not being there to meet you first thing this morning.”

Hanzo shakes his head. “It is alright. But should I look to contact you in the future if I am unable to get a hold of Jack?”

“That shouldn’t be an issue, but I’ll grab you my card just to make sure,” Jesse says with a grin. He looks back to his computer and clicks on a few things before looking down at Hanzo’s application. “How’s the progress on your application coming along?”

“Almost finished,” Hanzo says as he signs his name. Once it is done, he clicks the pen and lays it on the counter, sliding it with the application towards Jesse.

Jesse lifts the paper from the countertop while he is still typing with one hand. Hanzo can’t help watching his hands. “Alright, Mr. Shimada. Address and everything seems to match up. And I didn’t find a record for you in the system, so let’s get you a library card.”

“Will the card be ready to use today?” Hanzo asks.

“Yep! So if you really wanted some recommendations, we could go back to the shelves and look through them.” Jesse says.

“Perhaps not today. I would rather not keep you from work for too long.”

“Aww, if you say so,” Jesse says as he types. “I’ll get you my card at least, so we can talk about the renovations over email.”

“That would be appreciated,” Hanzo says.

The whole process takes a matter of seconds. Hanzo mostly watches Jesse work, letting him do as much of the talking as possible. Jesse almost breezes through the policy explanation, giving Hanzo bits of history on the building as he goes. When Jesse lays a library card on the countertop, he slides it towards Hanzo with a pen. “Alright, just need your name in the blank space if you don’t mind?”

Hanzo writes his name on the card as Jesse walks away from the computer, coming back with a business card. “And if you ever need to contact me, all my info is on there. Jack might want you to go through him first, but if you can’t get in touch with him, you can call my number there. Oh, you know what, let me give you my cell number too.”

Jesse flips the card over and asks Hanzo for the pen. Their fingers brush just enough to make Hanzo twitch, but he hopes it isn’t visible. “This is just in case you need me in an emergency or need to get an answer right away. I’ll let it pass if you’re calling for book recommendations though,” Jesse teases with a wink.

“I will try to keep my uses of it at a minimum,” Hanzo smiles back. He takes the card and gives Jesse a bow. “I need to start back towards the office now, but I will keep in touch. Thank you for your help, and for allowing me to get a library card.”

“Anytime, darlin’,” Jesse says. “Need an escort out?”

“I will be alright, but thank you,” Hanzo laughs. He waves at Jesse and the girl still working at the counter as he leaves the building. Jesse waves back even as he walks through the door.

Hanzo continues to walk until he is at least a few feet away from the library. He casts a glance over his shoulder to get another look at the library, his eyes are drawn to the door he just came out of. Part of him wants to see Jesse standing in the door, still waving at him as he walks down the street. Hanzo flips the card over and notes the number is written in surprisingly neat handwriting. It even has what he assumes is Jesse’s signature, J. McCree.

When he realizes he is staring at the signature a little too long, Hanzo blushes and shoves the card in his pocket. He starts towards work with a determination to get the estimates started before lunch. Jesse becomes an afterthought, but he can hardly say he will stay that way.


	2. Chapter 2

Hanzo considers contacting Jesse after the third day. With the library being one of his biggest priorities, he has no other obligations to keep him busy. The estimates take him time, serving as the most important distraction, but he can feel his thoughts wandering to Jesse when he’s not careful. When he plots out floor plans, he pictures Jesse walking through them. Looking at example interiors has Hanzo picturing Jesse in them more than patrons. He shouldn’t contact Jesse outside of work related issues.

And yet, he wants those book recommendations. He was able to finish the last Joel Morricone book he had, and it seemed to be on backorder at his favorite bookstore. It will still be a bit of time before he can find Joel Morricone’s latest book, and he has read through his own collection a dozen times already, so he is on the lookout for something new. Jesse is the first person to show an interest or knowledge in his favorite genre, and he didn’t judge Hanzo for enjoying it either. At least, not to his face. That alone gives Hanzo some idea that he might be able to trust him.

Hanzo thinks he might be losing it when he gets an email from Jack. He had sent the interior renovation estimates when they were finished, along with a couple samples. Jack was rather open to his suggestions, but he had a few things to say and some deviations from the original plans. Hanzo isn’t bothered by the changes, emailing Jack with his own opinions and requesting a timeframe for their next meeting. By then, he starts to feel exhaustion settling in.

His phone buzzes on his desk. Glancing at the screen, Hanzo sees a text message from his brother, Genji. getting coffee. want some?

That is the only invitation Hanzo needs as he responds, Give me five minutes.

\--

“Wait, you have the library job then?”

Hanzo nods before taking a sip of his coffee. Genji is looking at him with excitement in his eyes, his own cup of coffee in one hand and the pastry he chose to purchase in the other. “Yes. I am uncertain on the direction to take it though,” he sighs.

“That’s amazing though! To think my brother will be remodeling the place that got me on my feet,” Genji laughs. Zenyatta, who is sitting next to him sipping on a glass of water, chuckles as he nods in approval. “Gosh, I really can’t think of the last time I was in there. Maybe college?”

“Where is the library located now?” Zenyatta asked.

“Not too far off the intersection of Ferry and Progress. It is a decently sized building, though it is not exactly equipped for the services they offer.” Hanzo says.

“Ah, that place,” Genji says, turning to Zenyatta. “Was that one of the places you visited when we were looking?”

“Yes. When we were considering it, they were thinking of splitting the building into multiple spaces for rental,” Zenyatta says. “It was an interesting area to be in, but ultimately the plans fell through.”

“They were considering dividing it?” Hanzo asks.

Genji nods, but he shakes his hand in front of him as if to dismiss the conversation. “It was so long ago, before you even moved into the city. I had almost forgotten about it until you mentioned the street names.” He takes another bite of his food, humming to indicate he has more to say. “It’s been so long since I’ve been in there. I wonder if the staff is still the same?”

“I met some of the workers, though I am not entirely sure of their roles,” Hanzo admits. “Jack Morrison is their current manager. I assume he has been for some time.”

“That is likely true. And there was another guy there probably around the same age as him, but I think he worked in a different department or for a completely different company?”

“I believe that would be Gabriel Reyes. He is the head of security, if my memory serves me correct.”

“Wearing a hat of some kind? He was always wearing one when I was there. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a bunch of them lying around or buys them in bulk.”

“I would say their roles have not changed over the years. They are the only two I know by name,” Hanzo says as he takes a sip from his own water. He doesn’t think to mention Jesse, feeling his mind shift towards the parts of their meeting that didn’t involve business. Genji has turned his attention towards Zenyatta, changing the subject of their conversation.“I have been considering a second visit to the library to discuss more renovation costs with Jack. If you would like, I could take you with me?”

“Ah, I appreciate it Hanzo, but we’re booked pretty solid on classes this month,” Genji says. He and Zenyatta opened a yoga and wellness studio not too long after Hanzo moved to the city. Genji had grown up and went to school to learn about business, while Zenyatta had many different qualifications from psychology to personal wellness. The two of them decided to open the Iris together, Genji starting as Zenyatta’s assistant before switching to a more serious role as co-owner. Now, he is working on getting his own certifications to teach his own meditation classes. Hanzo could never convey how proud he is of Genji.

“Do you still want to try one of the classes? Or maybe I should come drag you in one day before you go to work?” Genji teases.

“Absolutely not. I have a strict morning routine that I don’t like to have altered,” Hanzo says. And he is partially true; his morning routine was almost timed, perfectly balanced to give him a chance to wake up and relax. But the only time that would be sacrificed in his morning routine would be the time he has to read when he first wakes up, and he could hardly bare the thought of giving that up. But he gives Genji a smirk of his own. “I would like to attend one of your classes in the future. I will have to try and squeeze in an appointment when this job is complete?”

“Hanzo…” Genji playfully whines. “That is going to take months, if not years.”

“So be it then.” More time to read the books I’ve been putting off.”

When Hanzo has to go back to work, his mind immediately drifts back towards his current problem: should he contact Jesse about the book recommendations? He can’t quite put a finger on why he’s obsessing so much over this. He is almost disappointed in himself for being so concerned with it. As he shoves his hands into his coat pocket, he is surprised to find Jesse’s business card is slotted next to his cell phone.

He decides there can be no clearer sign and nearly smacks himself for not coming to a conclusion sooner.

\--

Standing outside of the library makes him feel a little nervous. He returned from his break and asks his boss if he could go back to the library to refresh this ideas. The boss doesn’t mind, tells Hanzo to take as much time as he needs. Standing outside the library, Hanzo holds his phone to take pictures. Jack wanted to wait on exterior renovations, but Hanzo thinks it will give him something to work on if needed. He also carries the folder he’s started for the project, because despite not having a formal meeting with Jack, Hanzo likes to be prepared.

He also has a small backpack, empty for now. If Jesse happens to be in the building, then perhaps Hanzo can ask for some book recommendations while he is there.

Hanzo can’t help thinking his plan is good. He wanted to rely on the phone for emergencies and work only, and it helps him feel like their relationship can maintain a more professional stance. The only flaw in his plan would be if jesse wasn’t in the library, but Hanzo thinks he doesn’t have to worry about that as he walks into the building.

The girl from his last visit is at the desk by the main entrance again. She looks up from the desk when she hears the door open, smiling when she sees him. “Good afternoon. Welcome to the library.”

Hanzo nods at her. “Good afternoon. I am Hanzo Shimada, the architect hired to work on the renovations?”

“Ah, I thought I had recognized you,” she says with a nod. “Are you here to meet with Jack? I can call him and let him know you are here if you’d like.”

“I actually just came to walk around a bit more. I’ve hit a bit of a slump in the process, so I like to visit the places I am working on to see if they might jump start some ideas,” Hanzo explains. Not entirely false. “Is it alright if I walk around taking pictures?”

“Sure thing. We just ask that you be courteous to other patrons. Try not to get them in any of your photos if you don’t mind,” she says as she gives him a shy smile. “We get a lot of complaints when people take pictures for some reason, so if anyone asks, you have permission from staff.”

“Thank you,” Hanzo says. “And, one more question. Where could I find your books about architecture?”

The woman laughs a bit. “Can’t get enough of your craft, right? I’m the same way. I check out every book on gardening and quilting. It’s kind of alarming.”

Hanzo laughs, but it is mostly out of courtesy. She writes down a number for him and points him in the direction of the library’s nonfiction collection, not too far from the reference desk. She says to direct any questions to the reference desk if he has anything specific he is looking for, as they are pretty good about answering any and all questions patrons can come up with. Hanzo thanks her again before he heads off in the direction she pointed towards.

To say the library’s collection of books on architecture is disappointing would be a bit of an understatement. Hanzo finds that they only have about a dozen books, and what they do have is outdated or already on his personal shelf. There is only one book that really stands out to him, but flipping through the contents, he really doesn’t find it interesting. He sighs, giving up on the idea of finding anything in nonfiction.

The reference desk is staffed with a couple people this time. Two women are engaged in a conversation, hardly looking up when Hanzo emerges from the nonfiction collection. The conversation seems to be one sided; the younger of the two seems to keep going, words coming out of her mouth at a mile a minute. Hanzo is a little surprised the other woman, who looks like she might be closer to his age, is able to follow the conversation. The older woman is the one who notices him first, and without telling the younger woman to stop, she asks, “can I help you?” Her voice is cool, almost too cold to be considered approachable. Hanzo imagines she is either frustrated with the younger woman babbling, or done with her job in general.

“I was just browsing the nonfiction collection. But I should introduce myself, I suppose,” Hanzo says.

“Wait!” the younger woman says. She studies him as the older woman rolls her eyes. “You don’t look like a regular patron. Are you new to the area?”

“I am the architect hired on for the renovations. My name is Hanzo Shimada,” Hanzo says, reaching into one of his pockets to procure a business card. The younger woman takes it and looks before passing it off to the older woman, looking back up at Hanzo as he keeps talking. “I just wanted to stop in and take a look at the building, but I thought I might as well introduce myself to any staff members I meet.”

The younger woman grins, standing so quickly out of her chair that she nearly knocks it over. “Oh of course! I’m Lena Oxton, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” she says as she extends a hand towards him. Hanzo grabs her hand, and rather than shaking it, he just lets her jostle his hand until she lets go. “And welcome to our library!”

The older woman sighs, which brings their attention back to her. She has slid the business card under the keyboard of her computer, turning her attention to the screen. “Your last name sounds familiar,” she mutters. Hanzo feels his heart drop into his stomach at the implication. He’d rather not go into detail here. Not now. Not when he has gone for so long without having to explain- “Do you have a brother? Perhaps a younger one?”

“… Yes,” Hanzo says once he has regained his voice.

“A Genji Shimada?” the older woman asks, raising an eyebrow as she looks away from the computer screen and directly at Hanzo.

This revelation seems to make Lena gasp. “Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen Genji in ages! I wonder how he has been,” she says. She moves so quickly, and Hanzo is starting to realize that is just who she is as a person. He also thinks he will get whiplash watching her zip around. “How has Genji been? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“He is well.” Hanzo is glad for the diversion. Lena is still looking at him with excitement, but the older woman has returned her attention to the computer. “How… How did you know Genji and I are related?”

She looks at him with an expression filled with boredom. “The last name. The fact that the two of you look relatively similar. A hunch,” she explains. She is very cold compared to Lena. He can only imagine their shifts together were incredibly interesting.

Lena catches his attention again.”Oh don’t pay any mind to Amélie. She is in the middle of a super important project and can’t be bothered,” she says. “But I can help you if you need anything. Do you want to let Jack know you’re here? I’m sure he’d like to talk to you about the project as well.”

Hanzo puts his hand up to try and stop her. “No, no. Again, I am just here to look around,” he says, and he can’t help chuckling a little under his breath. 

A door opens nearby, and Hanzo only stops talking when he hears a familiar voice. “Oh, well if it isn’t Mr. Shimada,” he hears Jesse say as he walks up behind the desk. Hanzo loses the ability to talk when he sees him. “What brings you in today?”

“You’ve met Hanzo, Jesse?” Lena asks.

“Of course. I’m part of the management team, so we met when he stopped in last week,” Jesse explains. Hanzo gives a single nod as he still tries to gather his thoughts. Jesse sends him a teasing smile. “Of course, I thought I’d get a call or an email about a surprise visit.”

“My apologies,” Hanzo says.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m just teasing,” Jesse laughs.

Lena moves closer to him to grab his attention. “Jesse, did you know Hanzo is Genji Shimada’s older brother?” she asks.

Jesse gives her a look of confusion before he blinks in realization. “Oh, yeah. I meant to bring that up last time you were here but I forgot,” he says while looking at Hanzo. Suddenly the fear in Hanzo’s heart returns, because he doesn’t know what Genji is known for in the library, especially when everyone seems to know him on a first name basis. Jesse continues without realizing or possibly acknowledging that Hanzo is afraid of what he’ll say. “How has that little shit been? Can’t say he wasn’t a troublemaker when he was around, but we haven’t seen any of his antics or his tricks in a couple years.”

Oh, Hanzo has so many questions, but they can wait until he gets home to be asked. “Genji is alright, and arguably he has calmed down since his college years. He has opened a studio with a friend of his. They teach yoga classes together,” he says.

Jesse and Lena seem to share a startled laugh. “You’re kidding?” Jesse asks.

“No. They are the studio just a few blocks away,” Hanzo says.

“That’s so great though! I’m glad to hear Genji has settled down quite a bit,” Lena says.

“Yeah. He had it rough his first couple of years here,” Jesse says. Hanzo wants to ask him more, find out just how personal Jesse and Genji are. Genji hadn’t mentioned Jesse when he talked about the library over dinner. “Tell him he needs to come back for a visit sometime soon. I’m sure Jack and even Gabe would like to see him as well.”

“I will pass along the message,” Hanzo says with a smile.

“Anyway, onto more serious business I suppose,” Jesse says. He motions for Hanzo to follow him to another computer, though this one has a chair on the opposite side of the desk. “Have a seat, if you don’t mind. I wanted to ask you about progress on the renovations.”

“Of course,” Hanzo says as he moves towards the seat. He pulls his work bag into his lap, the other bag sitting on the floor next to his feet. 

Jesse sighs as he sits in the computer chair, typing a few things as he starts to talk. “Jack showed me the emails you’ve sent him. Mind if I go ahead and ask to be included on those?”

“Of course. I still have your card, so I should have your email address,” Hanzo says. Jesse nods as he continues to look at the computer screen, which prompts Hanzo to continue talking. “I have taken a few photos of the building. The woman at the front desk gave me permission.”

“Ain’t got a problem with that. You use them for work, right?” Jesse asks. Hanzo nods. “That’s alright with me then. If you get any decent ones, feel free to send them my way too. I wouldn’t mind getting some photos of our place once in a while.”

“I will be sure to take many photos then,” Hanzo says.

Jesse laughs. He stops typing in favor of turning the computer around for Hanzo to see. “Alright, so I wanted to let you know. As the circulation manager, I also act as our collection developer,” he says. Hanzo doesn’t know where this is going, so he simply nods so Jesse will continue. “I took a bit of time to look at the collection in the other room and tried to see what could be done for it. Most of that material hasn’t checked out in a long time, so we usually weed it for new items.”

He has an online order page on his screen. Hanzo glances at some of the titles Jesse seems to have ordered. Most of them definitely fit the western genre, but Hanzo practically starts to blush when he realizes there are some romance novels thrown in there as well. Was he that obvious when he was in the library a week ago?

Jesse keeps talking again. “So I went ahead and added a few extra things to our cart this month, and since I found you over in that area the other day, I wanted to ask if you might want to put in some requests? Now this really ain’t any business of mine, but you did seem rather invested in the collection.”

“I…” Hanzo starts. He doesn’t know how to feel about the situation. He has only met Jesse once, but he seems to know everything he needs to know about Hanzo’s favorite types of genres. Hanzo looks at the list and thinks to himself that he might try to request them all at some point. He isn’t entirely sure how long they would take to get to him, and he has to admit he hasn’t completely read over the information Jesse gave to him, so he cannot remember any sort of check out limitations. Jesse is looking at him though, and Hanzo can see his expression start to shift towards a more concerned look. Hanzo needs to answer. Fast. “You did not have to do this kind of thing for me.”

“Nonsense. This is all part of my job,” Jesse says, his smile returning. Hanzo notices he is talking at a bit of a whisper, possibly to keep Lena and Amélie from listening in. (Although Lena seems the type to do it anyway.) Whether he has gone out of his way to request items he knows Hanzo will want, or he simply had these items on a growing list of requests, Hanzo isn’t sure. 

Either way, he appreciates it. After all, isn’t this his original reasoning for wanting to stop in at the library? It is a bit unconventional from what Hanzo expected, but this is going much better than he anticipated. And he keeps the conversation quiet. “Thank you. What would you recommend?”

“So I’ll admit this first. We don’t carry that many Morricone titles in the collection. He just ain’t that popular around here,” Jesse says. Hanzo must be visibly disappointed, because Jesse’s smile softens once more before he continues. “But, I’ll be happy to order a couple of his books for you, if you really want. What’s the last one you read by him?”

“On the Western,” Hanzo says without missing a beat. He should probably feel embarrassed to have an answer to readily available, but Jesse just smiles. He doesn’t laugh as he turns back to the computer screen, typing a few things into a search bar and hitting enter. “Before that, it was Blue Horse Ranch.”

“Ohh, that’s an older one. Hasn’t he released a couple other books since then?” Jesse asks.

“Well, I’ve read most of the books between them. I have those two in my collection at home, so I’ve read them a few times now.” 

Jesse raises an eyebrow, looks at Hanzo with a teasing smirk. “Personal collection? Mind if I ask how many books you have by Morricone in there?” he asks.

Hanzo blushes, but he doesn’t mind answering the question. “A majority of his titles. I usually purchase them, but I have kept the collection limited since moving to the city.”

“Not a lot of room in your place?”

“No, just not really trying to clutter it with too many books.”

Jesse made a noise that sounded like a hum of understanding. “I getcha. Not a lot of apartments and condos in the city are big, so it’s hard to find room for everything people keep,” he says. He stops though, Hanzo not sure if he is starting to feel like he is getting too personal. “Beyond Morricone, though, do you have any other authors you like to read?”

Hanzo had to think about it for a moment. Joel Morricone wasn’t his only favorite author, but he was certainly the author Hanzo reads the most. “I am not really stubborn when it comes to trying new authors. I have also enjoyed work in the genre by Backwood, Harrison, and Robert Johnson. Do you know of any recommendations in that area?”

“Oh sure thing,” Jesse says. “Harrison is arguably one of the more popular authors in our western section. I gotta say, I pegged you for the type to enjoy modern stories, so I went ahead and put some of the books by each of them on hold for you.”

The gesture is actually quite nice, Hanzo thinks. He can’t wait to see what kind of books Jesse has found for him. If anything, he can’t help thinking Jesse requests books for random patrons as a fun sort of game. Perhaps they all did it. Jesse is asking him another question now; “Tell me about books you’ve read that aren’t westerns. Anything else tickle your fancy?”

His choice reading isn’t particularly limited, but Hanzo decides he has revealed enough to this man. “I am not the type to read exclusively to one genre. I also enjoy books across several varieties. I also prefer to read nonfiction as well.” Jesse nods before asking Hanzo what kind of nonfiction he preferred, to which Hanzo simply answers, “whatever I find interesting.”

Their book conversations continue far longer than Hanzo was thinking they should. Jesse was kind enough to indulge Hanzo in some of his own favorites; also a western fan, but also an avid reader of mysteries and some mushy romance. Jesse also seemed to have an interest in nonfiction, though he narrowed his favorites down to cookbooks and gardening. “I read a little of everything, kind of like how you read I reckon. But there’s just something about a good cookbook that gets my attention every time.”

“Genji used to come into the library to find cookbooks, actually,” Hanzo says. The news seems to catch Jesse’s attention, so Hanzo continues with an air of caution. “Or, at least, that is what he used to tell me. He likes to cook in his spare time.”

“What did he go to school for again?” Jesse asks.

“He… a few different programs. But I can’t recall which one he settled on.”

Genji had shifted his interests and major so many times that Hanzo had honestly lost track of them. By the time Genji had gotten out of college, Hanzo didn’t know what career path his degree would get him. Genji had hopped around in various odd jobs not too long before Hanzo moved to the city. Genji had always been working with Zenyatta, as long as Hanzo could remember.

Jesse doesn’t seem to be too bothered by the lack of answer. Instead, he shifts it back towards himself. “Well, since I’ve got a few more blank spaces in the order requests, I’ve been trying to think of things I might need to bulk up on. Seeing as how you’re in charge of our renovations and all, maybe you’ve got some ideas?”

Hanzo does, and he is a little excited to shift the conversation back to work for now. He pulls out a notebook with his current thoughts on the project written inside, along with an envelope of clippings and pages he has copied or taken from various sources. “Allow me to find the visuals I have. There were a few shelving units I thought would look nice in the building. I haven’t had a chance to forward them to Jack yet, but you are free to take copies to him.”

Jesse is eager to look at the shelving Hanzo has found so far. Hanzo credits it to the fact that Jesse is the circulation manager, so he probably spends most of his time browsing the shelves for a variety of reasons. While Hanzo explains that he won’t have a solid idea of what shelves they’ll be picking until they get some of the details solidified, Jesse says having this information will be enough. “Are we looking at knocking down any walls? Or do we intend to keep everything as it stands now?” Jesse asks.

“It is all undecided still. The deadline for decisions is fast approaching though. Perhaps I should meet with Jack while I am here to remind him?” Hanzo asks.

Jesse is about to answer when the door he came out of earlier opens again. This time, Gabe is the one who comes out, and he seems to be surprised Jesse and Hanzo are sitting at the desk conversing. “Shimada? Didn’t know Jack had a meeting with you today.”

“We didn’t have anything scheduled,” Hanzo says. “But if he is in his office, I wouldn’t mind going to visit him.”

“He actually left for a bit. Might come back later, might not,” Gabe says.

The news seems to concern everyone on staff, minus Amélie, who is still engrossed in her project. Lena is the one to ask questions. “Is he not feeling well today?”

Gabe shrugs with both of his hands out to the side. “I can’t tell with him sometimes. But he said he’ll keep in touch, so don’t be surprised if you start getting texts from him Jesse.”

“I’ll keep an eye out,” Jesse says.

Hanzo looks at his wrist watch and frowns. “I should probably also take my leave. I need to head back to the office and get more work done,” he says.

Jesse seems to be saddened by the news, but he recovers with a smile rather quickly. “Well it was a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Shimada.”

“Please, you can call me Hanzo,” Hanzo says, and he takes Jesse’s hand when it is offered to him for another handshake.

With a laugh, Jesse squeezes his hand before he lets it go. The action has Hanzo feeling warmth travel through his torso and to his face. “Then, you can call me Jesse. That way things will be fair between us.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” Hanzo says. “And I will add you to the email group about the renovations. Should I need to contact you outside of that, is it alright to give you a call?”

Gabe actually raises an eyebrow at the question. Hanzo feels silly recognizing the action, especially since he doesn’t know the kind of relationships Jesse has with his coworkers, but Gabe is the only one who reacts to the question. Jesse nods, and even suggests Hanzo use his cell phone number too. That gets another reaction from Gabe, which Hanzo has to pretend he doesn’t notice.

“Also, Hanzo,” Jesse says as Hanzo starts to say his goodbyes. “Don’t be a stranger. I’ve put some books on hold for you, and you should get a call or an email when they’re ready. Is that alright?”

Hanzo thinks for a moment. “An email would be preferred,” he says. “And thank you. I appreciate it.”

Jesse gives him a wink. “Anytime.”


	3. Chapter 3

An email exchange between Hanzo Shimada and Jack Morrison:

From: Hanzo Shimada (shimadah@archtech.com)  
To: Jack Morrison (j.morrison@citylibrary.org), Jesse McCree (j.mccree@citylibrary.org)  
Subject: Schedule  
Message:

Here are the current plans for the project. I have attached an ideal schedule for demolition and construction. Please let me know at your earliest conveniences if these plans work for you. 

\- Hanzo Shimada.

From: Jack Morrison (j.morrison@citylibrary.org)  
To: Hanzo Shimada (shimadah@archtech.com), Jesse McCree (j.mccree@citylibrary.org)  
Subject: Re: Schedule  
Message:

Looks great! I’ll be out of town for the next few days. Please direct questions to Jesse if you need to get into contact with us.

-Morrison

From: Hanzo Shimada (shimadah@archtech.com)  
To: Jack Morrison (j.morrison@citylibrary.org), Jesse McCree (j.mccree@citylibrary.org)  
Subject: Re: Schedule  
Message:

Could we set up a meeting in person to discuss further details about the project? I would like to go over everything in detail one last time before we get started.

Thank you.

-Hanzo Shimada

From: Jack Morrison (j.morrison@citylibrary.org), Jesse McCree (j.mccree@citylibrary.org)  
To: Hanzo Shimada (shimadah@archtech.com)  
Subject: Re:Schedule  
Message:

This is Jack Morrison. I will be out of office until Monday. Feel free to call my office and leave a message, or call the branch to speak to one of the staff members if it is a pressing matter.

From: Jesse McCree (j.mccree@citylibrary.org)  
To: Hanzo Shimada (shimadah@archtech.com)  
Subject: Re: Schedule  
Message:

Come in sometime this week. I’ll be covering for Jack in addition to some of my usual hours. Wouldn’t mind having someone to talk to one day.

Looking forward to seeing you.

-McCree

 

Hanzo looks over the email exchange again as he walks up to the library. Jesse’s email was sent two days ago, and Hanzo had made a few attempts at calling his work phone, but never had any luck getting through. He decided it was time to try texting the other man, so he sent a tentative message, “what would be a good day to meet you at the library?” not expecting to receive any kind of response right away. Jesse was quick though, texting Hanzo back within the hour to say, “Wednesday would be great! Might have some books for you then, hope you’re ready. ; )”

The winking face in the text was a bit of a surprise, one that made Hanzo blush every time he looked at it. They hadn’t exchanged any other messages since then, but Hanzo looked forward to their meeting more and more as the days passed. Jesse likely had an office where they could talk in private, and as much as business was important, Hanzo wanted to talk a bit more about the books Jesse had requested for him. He had slowed his usual reading in favor of not giving himself anything to be stuck in the middle of when he finally got the books from the library. The day before his meeting with Jesse, Hanzo went to bed without reading anything, occupied with thoughts and imaginations about his meeting with Jesse.

To say the library was in the midst of chaos would be a bit of a lie, but Hanzo could tell the day had not been off to a great start. When he entered the building, Lena was the one at the circulation counter this time, looking completely exhausted as she tried to suppress a yawn. Spotting Hanzo, she perked up just a bit, giving him a welcoming smile. “Looking for Jesse today?” she asks.

“Yes, actually. We have a meeting,” Hanzo says. “I can find my way to his office, if that is alright?”

“Oh, sure! I’ll give him a call to let him know you’re on the way,” Lena says as she picks up a phone to her right. Hanzo nods and thanks her as he heads off towards the “staff only” door he sees in the distance.

Once inside, Hanzo takes a guess at where Jesse’s office might be.There are a few doors, most of them closed, but the couple that are open have lights that are off. Hanzo recognizes the meeting room he had been in during the first meeting, and directly across from it is the only room with light. And he can hear someone inside. When he walks closer, he realizes that someone is Jesse.

“Thanks Lena, I’ll tell him when he gets here. And you’re good to stay a bit late, right? Emily isn’t going to be too mad at me for keeping you over?” Jesse asks.

Hanzo steps into the doorway of the office and peers in. Jesse is standing behind his desk, which is heavily decorated and covered with all kinds of things Hanzo doesn’t want to focus on right now. He is confused when he sees Jesse pulling on a jacket, but he softens a bit when Jesse laughs. “Alright. We appreciate it, thanks.”

Jesse spots Hanzo and waves as he says goodbye to Lena, then hangs up the phone. His smile fades for just a second, and he sighs while rubbing his face. “Hey Hanzo. I’m so sorry, I was just about to head to lunch when I remembered you were coming over today.”

“It is alright,” Hanzo says. “I could always wait for you to return or come back at another time this week?”

“Nah. I don’t want to waste your trip out here,” Jesse says. He groans, looking at the clock and his phone before he looks back at Hanzo again. “Tell you what, do you mind taking the meeting elsewhere? My place here isn’t really the most fitting place to hold a meeting and I’m starving.”

“Not at all. I am open to going out if you are willing,” Hanzo says.

“Good, thanks. We’ll go find a bite to eat then,” Jesse says. He starts to gather things off of his desk- phone, keys, checks his back pocket for a wallet Hanzo presumes- then he walks around the desk. Hanzo moves in the hallway so Jesse can have space when he comes through the doorway. As Jesse turns off the light and closes the door, he asks, “how about I let you choose? Got any recommendations around town?”

“Oh, I am not incredibly hungry. Do not worry about me,” Hanzo says.

“Nonsense, consider it my treat,” Jesse says. He glances at Hanzo over his shoulder, giving Hanzo a wink. “At least let me buy you a drink?”

Hanzo blushes, but he tries to quietly clear his throat so he doesn’t draw any attention to it. “I suppose if you insists.” He says.

“I knew I could get something out of you!” Jesse laughs. Hanzo cannot contain his own smirk of amusement. “Alright then, Hanzo, where are we heading?”

—

They find themselves at a relatively quiet restaurant, a place Jesse has never heard of. Hanzo clarifies that it is one of his favorite places to go, usually because there are hardly any crowds or long lines. Hesse can’t help feeling that the location might add to the lack of customers. The restaurant wasn’t really that far from a main street, but it has an entrance that practically mimics an alleyway. Jesse wants to ask Hanzo how he knows about such a place, but a glance at the menu tells Jesse he can wait to ask questions later. He has ordered a lunch special Hanzo has never tried before, just because it sounds interesting and he doesn’t mind trying new things. Hanzo caves when they sit down and look at the menu, deciding to order his own favorite dish. At Jesse’s request, Hanzo allows him to pay for their meal.

They talk casually until their food arrives. As they start to eat, the conversation takes a turn towards business. “So what is the progress on everything so far? Jack mentioned wanting to get ahead if it’s possible, but I figure you’re the boss when it comes to the schedule?” Jesse suggests.

Hanzo nods, his mouth full as he tries to chew a little faster. Once he swallows, he nods again. “We are on track to begin the first stages of the remodel by the beginning or middle of next week. I would say this phase would only take a couple of weeks, since we will be focusing on updating the computer resource area and the layout for your service desks.”

“I gotta say,” Jesse starts, using his fork to point at Hanzo, “I really like the idea of moving the circulation desk into the next room over. A lot of times, during the colder months, that desk is one of the worst places to be.”

“I can see it being rather uncomfortable. I hope there might be a way to improve the heating and insulation in the near future.”

Hanzo takes another bite of his food as he tries to think of another response. "Perhaps the solution for now would be to just bring in blankets?"

Jesse makes a face at his suggestion. "Eh, it would be an alright idea. Except we get a lot of pest issues that I wouldn't want to bring home. It's hard enough to avoid that as it is."

Hanzo raises an eyebrow at Jesse's words, but he isn't given an opportunity to ask. Jesse keeps talking. "So circulation desk is first after computer work, right? I think the reference desk could live in it's current area for a little while longer. No one really ever had any complaints about it.”

"Agreed. I think it works well where it is. Not to mention it gives the entire reference section a sense of being on their own. The shelves are not set to be replaced, however, if I can find a different kind of shelving that would work well in the area, I may suggest they be changed."

Jesse nods. "I used to work that desk a lot. I liked the seclusion. Gave me a lot of time to do whatever I wanted."

"Is that the kind of behavior you discourage now as a manager?" Hanzo asks.

"Nah. My staff gets their stuff done and they can find a way to keep themselves busy. They're all mostly adults anyway," Jesse says. He fiddles with the fork in his hand, almost twirling it as if it were a pencil or something small. "So after the computer resource area and the desks, where are we looking to change?"

"The reading rooms." Hanzo had noticed that the library had quite a bit of space for reading, but no rooms specifically dedicated to reading besides the one. Now that the plan was to move the circulation desk into that area, he suggested the library open more reading areas. "I think the current selection is alright, but I imagine patrons are often wanting to find a place to sit and read as well?"

Jesse shrugs. "Sometimes. We get a lot of people that like to just come in and relax. Sometimes they don't even look at any of the stuff we offer,' he says.

"Then... what happens to those patrons?" Hanzo asks.

"It all depends. Sometimes they just want a place to be. Other times, we get people that like to fall asleep. Makes being a manager pretty fun, since I get to wake them all up.”

Hanzo chuckles. "Jack had mentioned a nap area in our initial meeting. I take it nap time isn't entirely desired?"

Jesse can't hold back his laugh. "Are you kidding? The number of times we have to wake people in a single day is almost ridiculous,' he says. "But the excuses people come up with. That is the real comedy.”

They continue their conversation about business until the food runs out, then it turns casual again. "Oh, by the way, some of the books we had on hold for you came in. Want to pick them up when we get back?" Jesse asks.

"Oh, yes. I was hoping something would be ready,' Hanzo admits. "Do you happen to know which titles off the top of your head?"

"No, but I know there are at least two. Think that can hold you over until anything else comes in?"

Jesse is giving Hanzo a teasing smile, one that Hanzo returns. "I can try, but there are no guarantees. Unfortunately, I find myself a carnivorous reader."

"Aww, a damn shame. Honestly, we could use more people like you,” Jesse says.

They pay the bill, and on the way back to the library, Jesse asks if Hanzo would like to stop anywhere else. Hanzo declines, but Jesse mentions coffee and his mind is changed almost immediately. Jesse laughs at his enthusiasm, telling Hanzo it will be his treat.


	4. Chapter 4

The first day of renovations at the library goes smoothly, according to a text from Jack that thanks Hanzo for his help. The days that follow are not so great. Hanzo considers these days as the most likely for error, usually when people are too hesitant to make their own decisions or ask a dozen questions before taking the steps they need to. His cell phone is ringing almost nonstop the first week between the various contractors he hired, designers he has started to reach out to for smaller details, and almost constant check ins with Jack. Hanzo is used to it though, so he tries his best to grin and bear it, though he goes home more tired and frustrated each night.

He is accustomed to receiving text messages and emails at all hours. He isn’t surprised to see that he has a text message the week after the first day, and he is expecting it to come from Jack. He is surprised to find Jesse has reached out to him though, and his message is very different from what Hanzo expects:

Want to go get coffee with me sometime this week? I want to hear your thoughts on those books you checked out.

Hanzo has been reading them almost every night. He reads as a comfort, an easy and steady way to unwind at the end of each day, and sometimes he can sneak some reading in before getting out of bed in the morning. He is actually almost finished with the second book he has from the library, and if his memory serves him right, he is due to receive two more that Jesse put on hold for him. But seeing the message from Jesse makes Hanzo’s heart flutter, and for a few moments he lays in his bed debating on what he should say.

When he does reply, he tries to be brief. Of course, tell me a day that works with your schedule. He stops for a moment before hitting send, debating if this is a work related meeting or if he might just be meeting up with Jesse for a personal outing. A date, even. But he tries not to linger on the thought, and he stares at the text exchange for a few seconds before he gets out of bed.

—

“Wait a second, you have a date?”

Hanzo sighs as he reaches into his refrigerator for two beers. “Not really. I am just meeting with my client on personal time,” he explains.

Genji, who is sitting on one of the bar stools on the opposite side of the counter, gives Hanzo a look. He had surprised Hanzo by appearing at his door not five minutes after Hanzo had gotten home. While he usually did not appreciate the unexpected visits, Hanzo felt like he could use some quality time with Genji. “Personal time? With a client? Isn’t that a violation of some kind of code of conduct?” he asks.

“No, and before you ask, he would just like to discuss the books I have been reading, which he requested for me,” Hanzo says. He reaches into one of the drawers to find one of his many bottle openers, then hands Genji a bottle when he has uncapped his beer.

“Wait, this is someone from the library? Who is it?” Genji asks.

“The circulation manager,” Hanzo says.

“Hanzo, it has been so long since I’ve been a patron there. I don’t remember everyone that might still work there.”

“Ugh, you are absolutely ridiculous.” Genji raises his eyebrows and waves a hand to prompt Hanzo for an answer. Hanzo sighs again before he continues. “Fine, it is Jesse McCree.”

“Oh god, you are joking.”

Genji’s response is a bit of a surprise, considering Jesse’s impression of Genji wasn’t particularly negative. Hanzo decides this is the perfect opportunity to switch gears, bringing his drink to his lips as he says, “elaborate.”

“Jesse is the circulation manager now?”

“You are evading my request. Explain what you know about Jesse McCree.”

Genji sputters, glaring at Hanzo with a hint of a smirk. “Isn’t that what you are doing right now?” he asks, but he doesn’t give Hanzo an opportunity to answer. He continues without another prompt. “He used to get on my case for playing music too loud or falling asleep when I was studying. He wasn’t really bad, but we were sort of friends during my time there.”

Hanzo hums, taking another swig of his drink as Genji keeps going. “I don’t know what he did there, couldn’t tell you the department he specifically worked for. But he was usually the one who talked to me whenever I was there. A lot of times, he would wake me if I had fallen asleep while studying or tried to keep me company when I was feeling down.” Genji has a sentimental look on his face as he remembers his time at the library, but he looks at Hanzo with a more serious look. “I hardly got to know him though. I would be surprised if he considered me a friend, because we only ever talked when I was visiting.”

There was a moment of silence between them. Then Hanzo shook his head as he took another drink. “You made it sound like there was something more serious about him I needed to know. I thought you were going to tell me some kind of deep, dark secret,” he says.

Genji laughs, but he shakes his head. “No, no. Jesse is a good guy from what I remember. I am almost certain he is still a decent person,” he says. Hanzo smiles as he agrees. Genji switches back to that serious look though as he says, “I would still be careful, Anija. You do not have a good history with people who start as “just friends,” and while I do not think Jesse would hurt you in any way, I do not wish to see you heartbroken in the middle of a job.”

His warning is hardly necessary. “Genji, it is not like that. At least, not at the moment,” Hanzo explains. Genji glares at him, and Hanzo has to cut him off to continue. “I do not intend to pursue a romantic relationship with Jesse. So far, all of our interactions have been work related, and as much as I might find him attractive, I do not intend to initiate any sort of partnership that might disrupt that.”

The look Genji gives him now is one of knowing, and Hanzo can only describe it as Genji’s “shit-eating grin” because usually, it means he has a hunch, and it is almost always right. “Soooo you are attracted to him?” Genji asks.

Hanzo curses, flipping his hand up to flash his middle finger at Genji before he takes a large gulp of his beer. “That does not matter at the current moment. What does matter is that I have a job to do, and a friend who happens to be a client.”

“Nothing more?”

“Nothing more.”

Genji doesn’t believe him. The grin he still sports is evidence enough. But he feigns innocence while he shrugs his shoulders. “Alright, fine. But if you wind up getting together with Jesse, you owe me. I want some of the stuff you’ve been getting from that bakery you go to every day. The picture of that pastry you shared with me the other day was almost too good to be true.”

Hanzo rolls his eyes but he smiles. “Fine. And what do I receive if I do not wind up in a relationship?” he asks.

“Nothing, because I am your brother and I know you. Your chances are nonexistent,” Genji teases. Hanzo practically pouts at him, which prompts Genji to laugh again. “Now, what’s for dinner? I’m starving!”

“Well, since I wasn’t expecting company tonight, I didn’t really have any dinner plans,” Hanzo sighs. His tone is suggestive, one that makes Genji’s shoulders perk up and his eyes sparkle in anticipation. “I suppose we should order out. If only I could think of a place-”

“I’m calling Nara. We’re getting carry out.”

—

Jesse asks Hanzo to meet up with him on a Tuesday afternoon, a short day for him at work. They agree to meet up at a small coffee chain local to the city called "Night Owl," a place that Hanzo had never been. He had heard reviews and opinions from a few coworkers and some friends, and even Genji, who wasn't a big coffee drinker. Genji told Hanzo about the baked goods though, knowing that could easily grab Hanzo's attention more than anything else. The one Genji recommended was a dark chocolate mini scone, humorously called "owl pellets." Hanzo was more than eager to give those a try.

On the morning of their meeting, Hanzo suddenly feels that Genji might be right. He is hardly one to get nervous when it comes to meetings, but the thought of spending time with Jesse outside of a professional setting has his heart racing. Things between them could veer towards a path Hanzo wasn't sure he was ready to take, but he couldn't back out of the meeting. He wanted to get to know Jesse, even if they were only going to stay friends.

Hanzo is hardly a nervous person when it comes to professional meetings, but personal meetings are a different story. And Hanzo feels ridiculous for thinking this way because he has had an intimate meeting with Jesse before. Although this one was not entirely catered towards business. This one is more personal though. This one requires Hanzo put his thoughts out into the world. He hasn’t done something like that outside of work since his college days.

He tries not to let it bother him during his shift, which is also short due to a lack of work that needs to be done right away. He leaves when he usually takes a late lunch, memorizing the directions to Night Owl as he walks out of his office. The business is only a couple blocks away, and Jesse had already texted him to let him know he is on his way. Hanzo confirms he’s received the message, and the nerves he had managed to forget about for a moment suddenly resurge again.

He could pretend to get lost. He could avoid going all together by going back to his apartment, then telling Jesse he wasn’t feeling well after getting lost in the city. Hanzo gives himself all sorts of excuses to convince himself he can get out of this. But deep down, he doesn't want to. He knows this is all just a matter of nerves, his stomach and his heart doing flips while his brain tries to concoct methods and ideas that might get them to stop. He knows he is actually excited for this, even if the loudest voice in his head tells him this is a huge mistake. He can’t really remember the books he’s bringing along at that moment because he is too focused on convincing himself that going is still a good idea. How ridiculous, he thinks to himself. One meeting in a coffee shop is not going to be the end of me.

He is a block away from Night Owl when he gets another text message from Jesse. Claimed a seat, let me know when you’re here. Hanzo’s heart is skipping a beat again, part of him excited but screaming in fear all at once. He powers through, manages to walk the rest of the way to Night Owl without turning around or backing out. In a way, he is proud of himself.

I am here. He types once he’s at the front door. He takes a deep breath, looking in the window to calm himself while he studies the interior. The coffee shop isn’t packed, but he can tell they are a popular place because most of the tables have occupants. Almost all of them have laptops or books in front of them, and Hanzo can’t help thinking perhaps this is a more popular destination for college students, not middle aged men who work in a library and as an architect. 

But as he is chuckling to himself, he gets another text message from Jesse. Great! Second floor. Closest to the window. Come right up, we can order in a sec.

Hanzo raises an eyebrow, then looks up. He didn’t even notice the building was two floors. Actually, three floors. He’s rather impressed, wondering if the entire building is dedicated to the coffee shop or if there might be other businesses in the building. He walks in and hears a bell chime over his head, a common tactic businesses use to alert them that someone is coming in.

One of the workers behind the counter immediately waves to him. “Welcome to Night Owl!” he calls out, and Hanzo smiles as he nods towards him. Hanzo spots a set of stairs on the right side of the room, so without acknowledging the cashier he starts to walk up. The interior is nice, walls painted black and navy with dark wood accents throughout. Hanzo can understand why the place is popular just on an aesthetic level, taking a moment to admire some of the decorations and sales displays.

Jesse is waving when he reaches the top of the stairs. “Howdy! Glad you found the place okay,” he says. Hanzo gives him a smile as he walks up, noticing there are a couple books on the table in front of Jesse, along with two drinks. His face drops a bit at the sight of the drinks, so Jesse chuckles and reaches behind himself to rub the back of his head. “I, uh, hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d order you a drink. Chai tea latte alright?” he asks.

“Yes, but…” Hanzo starts, and he feels disappointment creeping in. “May I ask what kind of milk is in it?”

Immediately, Jesse’s smile is gone. “Nonfat. It’s just how I prefer it. Is that alright?” he asks.

Hanzo wants to hide his reaction, but when Jesse’s frown grows deeper he can tell he hasn’t done a very good job. “It is alright. I am lactose intolerant, so I usually prefer soy milk or another alternative.”

“Oh shit,” Jesse mutters under his breath, and he is starting to stand while reaching for the drink. “I’m so sorry. I should have asked-”

“No, no, it is okay. I should have told you ahead of time,” Hanzo says. He starts to put his bag down on the floor, hand up to assure Jesse that there isn’t an issue. He can’t remember if he has packed any of the lactose intolerant pills he keeps for occasions like this, but he is focused more on easing Jesse’s mind. “I can still drink it, I might just have to wait for a bit.”

“Are you sure? I can have them remake it with the right kind of milk?” Jesse suggests. He is already holding the drink. Hanzo thinks the flutter in his heart is because he finds the gesture charming.

“I am sure. Please, do not worry about me,” Hanzo says, giving Jesse a smile that he hopes conveys how serious he is about the whole thing. Jesse continues to stare at him, but he sighs and nods his head, sitting back down. He puts the drink back down on the table in front of him, but Hanzo notices it is closer to him.

Hanzo takes the opportunity to sit down, reaching for his bag to search for pills. “Really, I do apologize for not telling you sooner.”

“Nah, it’s alright, sugar. I shouldn’t have made an assumption about what you might like,” Jesse says. He is still frowning, but he smiles a little bit more when his eyes meet Hanzo’s. “Besides the milk, is a chai tea latte alright with you?”

“Yes, actually. It is one of my favorite drinks in shops like this,” Hanzo says. Jesse seems to sigh in relief, his shoulders even sagging a bit as he relaxes into his chair. Hanzo chuckles, finding the pills in his bag at the same moment. “I do not usually indulge in it though. I save it for special occasions.”

“Well, I hope this is special enough for you,” Jesse says. He is touching the books on the table now, and as Hanzo pops the pills into his mouth, Jesse goes on to talk about them. “These books are some of my favorites. I was doing some weeding today and these were on the chopping block, so I thought you might like to check them out.”

Hanzo takes a look at the books. Jesse has angled them so he can read the titles and see the authors. They are decently well read books, the spines slightly damaged and the covers looking worn and dirty. In a way, they have charm. “I would not mind. I have already finished the books you gave me the last time I visited. Do I have to come back to the library to check these out as well?”

“Nope. Since they haven’t circulated in about two years, I had to actually delete them from the system,” Jesse says. There is a hint of a frown on his face, but as he pushes the books towards Hanzo, his smile returns. “And we usually either recycle the books we delete, or put them up for sale within the library. I thought maybe you’d like to get a glimpse at them before I put them on the sale cart.”

Hanzo nods, and he reaches a hand out to hover over the books. “If I may,” he asks, and Jesse nods. When Jesse pushes the books towards Hanzo, Hanzo puts his hand on the books to pull. For a moment, their fingers brush. Hanzo has to try so hard not to make a noise at the contact. He grabs the first book and flips it over to read the summary on the back. Both books are paperbacks, and both are written by authors Hanzo is familiar with but hasn’t had the chance to read in the past. After skimming the summary of the first book, he puts it in his lap, then reaches for the second book. It sounds just as interesting to him as the first book. He chuckles as he stacks the books neatly on the table, then looks at Jesse and asks, “how much do I owe you for them?”

“Nothing. Everyone on staff takes books home without paying all the time,” Jesse says. He takes a sip of his drink while Hanzo tries to argue with him about it. “The price for a used paperback is only fifty cents anyway. They really don’t bring in a whole lot.”

“Are you certain?” Hanzo asks.

Jesse nods, leaning back in his chair with his drink in hand. “What I do want is your opinion on those books I sent home with you. You finished with them already?"

Hanzo smiles again, and he is reaching for his bag again to pull out the books he had finished. "They were both very good. I actually contemplated reading this one twice," he says, holding one of the books up. Jesse grins at the choice, and he reaches a hand out to take the books from Hanzo. "I hope these two books are just as good?"

"Maybe even better," Jesse laughs. Hanzo chuckles with him, and the moment feels incredibly comfortable. Hanzo tries not to focus on how easy conversation with Jesse is, feeling foolish for being so nervous. Jesse doesn't seem to notice, still smiling at Hanzo over his drink. "If you don't like these two books, I might have to revoke your library card privileges."

"You would not go so far over a simple difference in literary opinion," Hanzo says, a laugh teasing at the edge of his voice.

"They didn't make me the manager for nothing," Jesse says, and his response makes Hanzo laugh louder. They share a laugh until Hanzo reaches for his drink, Jesse watching him for a minute as he takes a drink. “So… what do you think?”

Hanzo hums, pulling the drink from his lips. “It is rather good. I do like that it is not as sweet as most chai lattes I have had in the past,” he says. Jesse nods, propping his head up on an elbow as he listens. “I do like sweeter drinks at times, but the chai latte can often become too sweet, depending on how it is made.”

“Agreed. Though, if I’m being honest, I kind of like mine a little bit sweeter,” Jesse says. He grabs his own drink off of the table and takes a sip as Hanzo takes another drink. Jesse grins when he swallows his own sip. “Sometimes I think the spice gets a little more intense with the sweetness.”

“Hmm. I would say this is a better version of the drink. The version you can find at larger chain coffee shops can often be too watered down,” Hanzo says.

Jesse gives him a thumbs up as he nods. “I couldn’t agree more! I really prefer my coffee from smaller shops,” he says. “But, if it’s the only choice, I’ll hit up the bigger chains in an emergency.”

“And what constitutes an emergency?” Hanzo asks.

“Anything from a crazy day at work to a nasty list of chores waiting for me at home,” Jesse says in a mumble against his coffee cup, his eyes casting up in an expression that makes Hanzo think emergencies are common. “But I try to hit up places like this more than anything.”

Hanzo nods. “There is a bakery I like to visit from time to time. I am interested in trying some of the baked goods available here though, is there anything you would recommend?”

“Oh, sure. I can go grab a couple things to eat if you’d like?” Jesse asks. Hanzo starts to protest, but Jesse puts up a hand to stop him before he starts. “It’s the least I can do for nearly poisoning you with the drink. Any kind of restrictions?”

Hanzo gives him a slight smile as he shakes his head. “No need, any milk ingredient should not bother me because of the pills,” he explains.

Jesse is standing before Hanzo can say any more. “Alright, then I’ll be right back. You get comfortable here,” he says. Hanzo notices he winks as he walks past, and he thinks the blush that creeps onto his cheeks is visible, but tries not to focus on it. He turns to watch Jesse go down the stairs, then he reaches for one of the books Jesse had brought for him.

He already knows the premise of the book he has grabbed, but he is interested to see how it reads. Hanzo opens the book to the first page and starts reading. Part of him is eager to get started. He hadn’t heard of the author before, but the summary within the cover caught Hanzo’s attention almost immediately. The thought of Jesse pulling the book for him also makes Hanzo blush a little, and he finds himself smiling as he reads.

He is so engrossed in the book, he doesn’t notice Jesse coming back so quickly. “Already reading? Couldn’t wait to get right in on them, huh?” Jesse asks as he puts a plate down on the table between them. Hanzo jumps a little at his appearance, but Jesse doesn’t seem to notice. Jesse sits down in his seat as Hanzo closes the book. “What are you thinking so far?”

“I am excited to get started on reading it,” Hanzo says as he puts the book back on the table. He looks at the plate that Jesse has brought back for him, surprised to see two small pastries on it. “What have you brought?”

“Well the one on the right is called a nest,” Jesse says as he points to the pastry on Hanzo’s plate. “That’s one I really like. It’s got apple filling, and if you aren’t a fan of it, I can take it and get you something else.”

“No, I am interested,” Hanzo says. “And the one on the left?”

“That’s a chocolate scone. It’s got a silly name,” Jesse says.

“The owl pellet?” Hanzo interjects. Jesse looks up at him with a surprised face, and Hanzo chuckles as he replies. “Genji had mentioned it when I told him we were meeting here.”

“Oh yeah? I take it he mentioned it’s their signature baked good then,” Jesse laughs. Hanzo nods as he reaches for the scone first. “I’m not a big fan of it myself. But I hope you like it?”

“I am not very particular when it comes to baked goods,” Hanzo says before taking a bite of the scone. Jesse watches him as he eats, so Hanzo hums and nods his head once to give Jesse a reaction. “Mmm. The taste is rather nice,” he explains. “I think it is a little too sweet to have with a flavored drink, but I think it would pair nicely with a light roast coffee or even a green tea.”

“Know a bit about your food pairings?” Jesse asks with a smile.

“Genji has taught me a few things. I also had an interest in coffee during college and worked in a shop for a short time,” Hanzo says. Jesse raises his eyebrows in surprise at the news, but Hanzo decides not to elaborate on it at the moment. That can be a story for another time. “I am impressed with this though.”

“I hope you like the nest as much,” Jesse says.

Hanzo puts the rest of the scone in his mouth and shakes his head, waving his hand in front of him to deny Jesse’s request. “I think this will be enough. I would rather let you have the nest, if that is alright.”

“Are you sure?” Jesse asks.

“Yes. As much as I like sugary treats, I try to limit myself. I do appreciate the offer though,” Hanzo says.

Jesse gives him a slight pout, but he reaches forward and pulls the plate closer to his side of the table. “Promise me you’ll let me buy you one another day?” he asks.

Hanzo feels his heart skip at the question, and he has to think for a moment before he answers. “I would not mind. Are you wanting to meet like this more often outside of normal business hours?”

“Yeah, if you don’t mind,” Jesse says before he takes a bite of his pastry. He chews for a moment before he swallows and continues. “We don’t have to talk business every time. I’m completely fine with just getting together to talk about books and anything else we think about.”

“Would you prefer we talk about business though?” Hanzo asks. He looks at his drink, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “Or do you want to keep these kind of meetings more casual?”

“I am up for whatever you are comfortable with,” Jesse says with his mouth full. Hanzo doesn’t really mind it, as he usually would had they been anyone else. Jesse leans forward in his chair to get a bit closer to Hanzo, though he doesn’t get much closer than the table space between them. “I like the conversations we have about books. It isn’t often I get to talk about books with the patrons on a level like we do.”

“We have only had an opportunity to discuss books a handful of times,” Hanzo says.

“Yeah. And I like how those discussions have gone,” Jesse says. “We don’t have much in common in terms of genres, but I think you and I could have some interesting talks about what we read.”

Hanzo hums before he takes a sip of his drink. Jesse takes that as an opportunity to keep going. “Since I’m developing the collection, I usually take recommendations and ideas from patrons. But rarely do those patrons want to talk about the books they recommend. It just comes down to, ‘Get this book for me.’ And you actually sat down with me to talk about the books I ordered. You told me why you wanted to read them.”

Hanzo can’t help feeling like he has missed something. But he understands what Jesse is saying, and he takes a moment to process everything before he responds. “You want to meet casually to discuss the books we are reading? Not just for business?”

“Ah, well,” Jesse sighs, a hand coming back to rub his head. “There is a business element to it, but it’s on a more personal level if that’s alright.”

“Hmm, I see,” Hanzo says. “Do you really enjoy my opinion so much?”

“I enjoy your opinion and your company,” Jesse says.

They pause, and Hanzo is looking at Jesse as if he has just heard a subtle confession. Jesse’s eyes are wide as if he realizes he has said something he probably shouldn’t have, but there is no way he can go back now. Hanzo is the one who decides to speak first. “I… I enjoy your company as well.”

Another pause. Jesse’s eyes are suddenly a little wider. “Oh. Do you really?” he asks.

“Yes. I think this has been rather fun,” Hanzo says. He clears his throat before he continues. “I do not have a lot of acquaintances who can meet up with me on a regular basis. I have enjoyed myself.”

Jesse is smiling. Hanzo fears he might be blushing a bright red, but Jesse doesn’t say anything about it. “How about we try to meet up once a week or so? Just get together to talk about our favorite books, maybe get to know each other better?” he asks.

Hanzo is already nodding in agreement. “I would like that,” he says. “I would like that very much.”

Jesse’s smile becomes a grin. “I’d like that too.”


	5. Chapter 5

Text messages from Jesse were a lot more frequent after their first meeting at Night Owl. Hanzo tried not to text him back too quickly after the messages were received, but he timed himself and ensured Jesse received a response to every message. He finds himself looking at his phone more often when he doesn’t mean to, and many people around him seem to be noticing. His coworkers often ask if there’s anything really interesting he’s reading on his phone, or if there has been some sort of emergency. Hanzo brushes them off without answering any of their questions.

Their topics range. Sometimes, they talk about the books they have been reading. Jesse likes to send Hanzo articles about popular books and asks if he has ever read titles by best selling authors that neither one of them really care for. Hanzo likes that their discussions are not just limited to face to face conversations. When they aren’t talking about books, they are discussing some of the work at the library. Usually Hanzo is just checking in to ask how the progress is going and if there have been any bumps along the way. When they have that all cleared, then they move on to their usual topics. Jesse surprisingly likes to talk about food, specifically getting to know what kinds of foods Hanzo likes to eat. “That restaurant you recommended when we went out for lunch together was fantastic, and I’d like to try more food like that,” he had explained. “Maybe we could go out for lunch again soon?”

Hanzo was over the moon. Their relationship was moving at a pace he felt comfortable with. If he could read Jesse as well as he thinks he can, there is definitely a mutual admiration and interest going on between them. But, keeping it casual is how Hanzo likes it, and he is glad to see Jesse feels the same. They are both still opening up and telling each other personal information, so Hanzo thinks the slow pace is rather comforting.

Genji isn’t believing him though. From the moment he found out the meetings with Jesse were going to be a weekly occurrence, Genji wanted Hanzo to admit something more was happening. “You can be honest with me, Hanzo. I won’t be upset if you’ve found someone to spend time with. I just want to know the truth about your relationship with them,” he had said one night over dinner.

“Genji, there is nothing more serious going on between us at this time,” Hanzo had explained for the fourth time that evening. Zenyatta seemed to be on his side, but he was maintaining a neutral ground for the most part between them. “Should our relationship develop into something it already isn’t, I will be more than happy to inform you, but please understand that for now, it is just two friends meeting up to discuss a common interest.”

The answer hadn’t been good enough. Genji wanted to know more about what kind of interests Hanzo shared with Jesse, or what kind of books the two of them had been reading. He said he would visit the library on an off day to see if he could find Jesse and get to know him better, which Hanzo told him was an absolute no. By the time their dinner was over, Genji and Hanzo had hardly found even ground, but they tried not to talk about it any longer. Zenyatta thanked Hanzo and apologized for Genji’s insistence on questions before they left for the night. Hanzo didn’t let it bother him as he prepared for bed.

The progress at the library had been slow but steady. Jack was emailing Hanzo roughly twice a week with questions and suggestions, and they were almost in contact as much as Hanzo and Jesse. Jack was interested in having Hanzo come in for a meeting again to create a progress report, something that Hanzo mentioned in passing that he liked to type up for his own records. Jesse seconded the meeting, and they made plans to meet the day of.

During the meeting, Hanzo and Jesse spent more time talking about shelving and collection development. Jack seemed to be surprised at how much they had been talking, seemingly unaware at how much they were talking to each other in their spare time. Jesse wanted to talk about more shelving because they had more plans for large book purchases in the budget, which Hanzo thought would be a good addition to the library. The discussion quickly turned to the types of books they would wind up buying, and when Jack was called to help with something at the main reference desk, he left them alone to talk some more. Their conversations continued and even divulged into one of their book discussions until Jack came back.

Hanzo and Jesse made an effort to meet at different places each time, but they wound up back at Night Owl once or twice. Hanzo made an effort to pay for his own snacks and even offered to pay for Jesse’s as a way to thank him. It became a bit of a game between the two of them. Each time they visited a coffee shop, they would split two baked goods and drink something the other recommended. Hanzo started trying to order more tea drinks, since Jesse seemed to be a fan but often chose the coffee drinks over them. Jesse always favored something sweet, which Hanzo didn’t object to. Their meetings would quickly turn to discussions about their recent reads from there, and sometimes they would talk about things they had messaged each other in text or talk about their days at work. In a way, they were quickly becoming more comfortable.

Jesse’s texts became the first thing Hanzo checked for in the morning. They were generally carrying on their conversations through their messaging system, only breaking to tell each other goodnight or good morning. Jesse had started to send Hanzo jokes or things he found funny between discussions, often with the message, I’m sorry but I HAD TO SHARE THIS WITH YOU. Jesse and Hanzo generally woke up around the same time, Jesse usually earlier than Hanzo, so his messages in the morning always came first. Over time, they quickly turned into more intimate and friendly good morning messages, which Hanzo found rather endearing.

They had hardly made an effort to meet on the weekends. Jesse was working every Saturday for the most part, and while Hanzo had the day off, he was often reading books or catching up on some work from the week. Sometimes, if he felt up for it, he would get ahead on his work for the week as well. Their messages weren’t as frequent during the weekends, and Hanzo almost didn’t hear anything from Jesse on Sundays. But one Sunday morning, Jesse had sent a message to Hanzo: Hey darlin’, hope your weekend has been great and you get to catch up on your reading since we’ve been working you so hard at the library this week. See you on Wednesday?

Hanzo stares at the message for a little bit longer, still laying in his bed. Sunday was often a day where he stayed in bed if he really felt like it. There were a few days where he wouldn’t get out of bed unless Genji came over for a visit, and Hanzo felt like this might have been one of those days. Jesse’s message makes him smile, even encourages him to grab his book that he had fallen asleep reading last night. For a moment, Hanzo almost wishes they had a meeting planned for the day.

His feelings for Jesse were growing. He knew it was inevitable, spending so much time with a person that wasn’t family or someone he saw on a daily basis. He thought the slower pace was best at first, but in a way, he was thinking maybe he would like to progress their relationship a little bit. While he felt like he knew Jesse’s feelings about him, Hanzo wanted to know for sure how Jesse felt. Part of him was starting to feel conflicted.

“You should tell him how you really feel,” Genji advises him when they go out for brunch together. Genji was the only person who could convince Hanzo to get out on a Sunday, and when he promised to pay, Hanzo couldn’t say no. “I mean, really Hanzo. At this point it’s pretty obvious you feel some kind of attraction for him.”

“Yes, but he is still a client,” Hanzo says before he takes a bite of the sandwich he ordered. “I don’t think it is breaking any kind of protocol to meet up with a client, but it is a personal preference not to date current clients if it is at all possible.”

“And that’s honorable,” Genji says. Hanzo groans at his use of the world ‘honorable,’ knowing Genji liked to toss it around when he was talking about Hanzo. “But at the rate you’re going, you’ll likely be working with the library for a couple of years? If you wait until you are done with your work there, you won’t be able to consider dating anyone you’re interested in for a long time now.”

Hanzo doesn’t want to admit that Genji is right, but he knows Genji is. “But we have to maintain a professional relationship with him, especially since he is not the head boss of the library,” he says. “That is where things get complicated.”

“How many bosses does Jesse have?” Genji asks.

“Just the one, Jack, if I am correct. But I do not know for sure if they are at the top of the work hierarchy,” Hanzo says with a shrug. Genji chuckles, but he nods as he eats the salad he ordered. “But to be honest, maintaining that professionalism is difficult. We had a meeting the other day with Jack and it was difficult to keep on topic.”

“I can get that. As long as you two aren’t making out in front of his boss, you should be alright,” Genji said.

“You are not helping!” Hanzo says, which makes Genji laugh a little too hard. Hanzo’s shoulders slump as he sighs, shaking his head while he tries to regain his composure. “But back to the issue at hand. Am I supposed to just come out and tell Jesse how I feel? Or should I wait until I am absolutely certain about my feelings?”

Genji gave him a sympathetic frown. Hanzo had been in relationships in the past, but they never really worked out for him. Their family had even tried to arrange a marriage for him when they were young and still part of the family, but it didn’t help Hanzo’s ability to find a meaningful relationship. Hanzo’s last romantic relationship had been sometime before Hanzo had moved to the city, and Genji didn’t even know if he knew the name of the person Hanzo had been with. Genji could hardly remember when Hanzo came out to him about his sexuality even.

“You know for sure that Jesse has some feelings for you?” Genji asks.

“I do not. We had a discussion during our first personal meeting-”

“Okay, I have to stop you for a second,” Genji interrupts, putting both of his hands up to make Hanzo stop. He is still holding his fork even. “Can you stop calling them ‘personal meeting’s and call them dates? Because that’s essentially what you and Jesse are doing.”

“Is it a date if the other party is not entirely consenting to a romantic relationship or considering it a date though?” Hanzo asks.

Genji groans, leaning back into his chair to feign defeat. “Hanzo,” he sighs. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“This is not me being ridiculous, Genji. This is a legitimate question,” Hanzo says, trying not to let an embarrassed blush creep up on his face. “What constitutes a date if the other half isn’t viewing it as such?”

“Jesse is probably seeing every meeting as a date,” Genji says. “Most people think of these kind of meetings as dates. It’s the more common and normal thing for people to call them.” 

Hanzo sighs, shaking his head. “I think it would be best to drop this conversation for now. This will not be resolved for some time,” he says.

“Just don’t get yourself hurt,” Genji says. Hanzo glances at him, noticing that Genji has a slight pout on his face. “This is the first time you’ve really reached out to someone since moving here. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

There is a silence between them. Hanzo knows Genji has a tendency to worry about him, despite his best attempts to get Genji to stop. He sighs once more before he says, “If anything does happen, you will be the first to know.”

“... Good and bad?” Genji asks.

“Of course,” Hanzo says. “I will need assistance should anything go wrong.”

Genji laughs, holding up his drink. “I’ll toast to that. And agree to come to one of my classes. It will be good for you.”

“Perhaps if things go well, I could bring a friend?” Hanzo asks while holding his own drink up clink against Genji’s.

“Oh hell yeah!” Genji laughs. Hanzo chuckles with him, the two of them taking a sip of their drinks before they almost slam them on the table.

\--

Wednesday starts rough. Most of his coworkers are out sick, and his boss went out for a family emergency. His morning is full of tasks and seemingly have no end, so he only gets to text Jesse just after his shift starts. Busy day ahead. I will message you as much as I can throughout the day.

Hanzo checks his cell phone again an hour after he gets back from his lunch break. Jesse still hasn't responded to him. Usually Jesse responds to his messages within the first twenty minutes after Hanzo has sent one. To not hear from Jesse is rare, and part of Hanzo can't help fearing something bad may have happened. He refrains from sending any other texts or even calling Jesse. If there is any sort of real emergency he will need to know about, someone would reach out to him at some point. Whether that someone is Jesse or someone on staff at the library is still undecided in Hanzo's mind. He tries not to dwell on it.

Hanzo does get a text almost an hour before his shift ends. Jesse gives Hanzo a simple reply to his lunch break message, Gotcha. Keep me posted. Hanzo can't help feeling like something isn't right. Rather than bombarding Jesse with questions, he lets Jesse know he has received his message, then focuses on his work again.

Jesse's text messages are far and few between for the next hour or so. Hanzo keeps a constant watch on his phone as if he might miss a message Jesse sends his way. After his shift ends, Hanzo asks Jesse if he is still up for their date. In the moment, Hanzo thinks asking Jesse if he still wants to go out for dinner might not have been a great idea. He worries his message might come off the wrong way. His anxiety starts to ramp up and he tells himself things he knows aren’t real. What if Jesse really wasn’t interested in him? What if they were just still friends, and Jesse wasn’t trying to act on something more serious? What if Jesse secretly hates him? What if something has happened to Jesse?

These are the questions Hanzo keeps in his mind on a constant repeat, at least until Jesse calls him.

“Hey sweetheart,” Jesse says on the other end of the line. He sounds thoroughly exhausted. Hanzo worries something is wrong. “Sorry I haven’t been talkin’ to you much today. It’s been pretty busy over here.”

“It is alright,” Hanzo says. It is another instance where he is not lying, but he is not really telling the truth either. “Are you feeling alright?”

A pause, and Jesse lets out a sigh. “Yeah, yeah, I’m feeling fine,” he says. Hanzo can picture Jesse rubbing his face and scrubbing at his eyes, often in a way that shows he is frustrated. “Hey, I wanted to actually call about our dinner plans. I’m still at work, and I don’t anticipate I’ll be able to get out for another hour or so.”

“Oh,” Hanzo says. Part of him is relieved, but he can still feel dread looming over his heart. “I see.”

“I’m sorry, honeybee. It kind of comes with the job,” Jesse explains. “But hey, if it’s alright, I still want to have dinner with you. I just might not get out until late. I wanted to know if you’re alright with waiting for a little bit, or if you might want to reschedule.”

Hanzo is disappointed. While he is glad Jesse seems to be okay, he isn’t sure how he feels about not being able to see him. But he also doesn’t know how he feels about waiting for incredibly late dinner plans either. “Ah, well, what would you prefer?” Hanzo ask.

“Nah, none of that now. I asked you first,” Jesse says. There is a hint of something teasing at the edge of his voice, which makes Hanzo chuckle. “What works out better for you, darlin’?”

Hanzo wants to be honest and tell Jesse there really aren't any perfect circumstances in this case, but he knows that will not help the situation in the slightest. He sighs again as he approaches the door to his apartment building. "I would like to see you tonight," he admits.

There is a moment of silence, and Hanzo almost fears his admission is either too personal or has completely missed the mark for Jesse. But he is surprised to hear Jesse sigh and say, "I want to see you too. Han, it's been such a shitty day. Nothing would make me happier than spending even as little as five minutes with you."

Hanzo's heart skips a few beats, and he can't keep himself from smiling. Then an idea hits. "What if I make you dinner tonight?" Hanzo asks. "I-I am not the greatest cook in the world, but I am able to make some simple dishes and perhaps might be able to make something you would like?"

Jesse makes a noise that Hanzo assumes is a sign of approval. "Oh, baby, I'd really appreciate that," he says. His words make Hanzo's smile even wider. "Do you want me to come over to your place? Or would you be comfortable using my kitchen?"

Shit. Hanzo doesn't know which one would be best in this situation. He bites the knuckle of his finger as he tries to think. "Nnn, I am not certain. Will you be back at your apartment before I get there? I am on my way out of the office now." He doesn't want to tell Jesse that he has already made it home.

"I won't be getting there for a bit longer still, but if you would feel more comfortable meeting me there, I can call ahead and tell someone to let you in," Jesse says. Hanzo is already a little afraid of the idea, but Jesse is quickly convincing him. "You're a familiar face there anyway. Whoever's working at the counter will be able to show you the entrance."

"What?" Hanzo asks.

"Oh, right. I never got to tell you," Jesse says with a sigh. "I live in the apartment above Night Owl."

Hanzo is stunned silent for a moment. "What?!" he asks, his voice a little too loud and even startling him a little bit.

"Sorry, sorry! I should have told you sooner," Jesse laughs. Hanzo can almost see him waving his hand in front of him as a way of brushing of the importance of the information. "But this is good, because the workers have seen me there with you on more than one occasion, so they'll trust you're not there to rob me or to try anything funny."

"You... Are the owners of Night Owl your landlord?" Hanzo asks.

"No, but the owner of the building comes in enough for coffee and we're all pretty friendly," Jesse says. "It's a long story I can tell you another time, babe. But is that arrangement alright with you?"

He can always call Genji if there is anything sketchy about the whole situation. "Yes, this would work just fine," Hanzo says. "What time should I expect you to be there?"

"Around 7:30, maybe 8," Jesse says. "And feel free to use whatever you want in my kitchen. All I ask is that you don't catch the place on fire. I pay a pretty penny for the place."

"No pressure," Hanzo says with a deadpan tone, and it makes Jesse laugh so hard Hanzo lets out a couple chuckles as well.

"Ah, you're the best, Han," Jesse says. "I can't wait to get home and have your cooking."

"Mmm," Hanzo says. "And I look forward to seeing you when you get home."

Jesse makes another noise that Hanzo can't quite identify. "Goddamn, you're killing me. How did I get so lucky?"

Hanzo laughs. "I ask myself often," he says. "I will see you at the apartment?"

"I'll see you soon, darlin'."

—

When Hanzo arrives at Night Owl, he is surprised to find out Jesse was right about the staff knowing who he was. The baristas are incredibly kind as they explain how they tried to figure out Hanzo and Jesse’s relationship. “To be honest, we were all mostly hoping you were Jesse’s boyfriend,” the girl behind the counter says with a laugh. “Most of the time we are wrong, but then again, Jesse doesn’t bring a lot of people around.”

“Oh, I see,” Hanzo says, uncertain if their words are supposed to help him feel better or if he is suddenly feeling even more pressure because of it. He tries to push past it, following the barista to the second floor of Night Owl, then approaching a door he has seen multiple times, but has never questioned entering. There is a key hole in the door, and a sign posted next to it with tiny print says “staff use only.”

“Really, we only put the sign up to deter people that aren’t tenants above from going in,” the barista says as she turns the key. “There is another entrance to the apartments above, but the owner of the building thought it would be a good idea to have this extra entrance in case of emergencies or if any of the tenants were to get themselves locked out.”

Hanzo nods, and he watches as the barista unlocks the door before following her inside. There is a set of stairs almost immediately to the right upon walking in, and Hanzo is not surprised to find she starts ascending them. “Jesse is in 302. It’s a rather nice apartment. I lived in a model similar to it before I moved in with my girlfriend a few months back.”

“Hmm,” Hanzo says to let her know she is still listening.

She leads him up another small set of stairs, then they find a landing with a hallway. Hanzo sees apartment 302 as soon as he takes a step onto the landing, and the barista fiddles with the kehys for a moment before she starts to unlock the door. “Honestly, if you ever need to get into the apartment and Jesse isn’t here, just let one of us know. We sometimes let the tenants take keys up to their apartments with them, if we’re feeling kinda lazy or we’re particularly busy.”

“Interesting,” Hanzo says, again feigning interests.

The barista opens the door and pushes it open for Hanzo. “Well, there you go. If you need anything at any point, you can just give our main line a call. We shouldn’t be too busy for a while, so we can come up and help you at any point,” she says.

“I greatly appreciate it, thank you,” Hanzo says with a small bow. The barista seems to be surprised by the bow, so she giggles and bows back to him. Hanzo notices there is a slight blush on her cheeks as she starts descending the stairs.

When he steps into the apartment, he makes sure to lock the door behind himself. Then he takes a look around to really appreciate the place. It is well decorated, and certainly fits someone like Jesse. There are exposed brick walls and dark metal accents among them. Hanzo can see the kitchen as soon as he walks in, and it is a surprisingly spacious kitchen for an apartment in the city. Hanzo walks further into the apartment and takes a look around more, trying not to get too in depth with his searching. The kitchen and dining area are not separated, but Hanzio can see bar chairs similar to his own. The living area is mostly a couch with a coffee table and a tv, but Hanzo can see there are books scattered all around. There are a couple shelves almost crammed full, and a couple stacks on top and underneath the coffee table. On the other side of the couch where Hanzo can’t see from the front door sits another stack, and Hanzo can’t help laughing a bit as he walks further in.

He can see a bedroom from an open doorway, and as much as Hanzo would like to go in and explore, he decides to keep to himself. There will be plenty of opportunities to explore that area of the apartment, he tells himself, and he would much rather be in that space when Jesse is there with him. He decides to take a look at the kitchen to start preparing what he wants to make for dinner.

He had thought about going to the grocery store before coming to Jesse’s apartment, but he couldn’t think of anything in particular that he wanted to buy. Without knowing what kind of ingredients awaited him, Hanzo didn’t think going grocery shopping would be best. THere were plenty of options in Jesse’s pantry though, and as he looked among the ingredients, hanzo tried to think of some of Jesse’s favorite foods. He wanted to make something that Jesse really enjoyed, as far as he knew. If he could manage to make something that was Jesse’s comfort food, he would be more than willing to learn. Eventually, he found the ingredients to make a decent meal, and he immediately got to work.

Cooking in Jesse’s kitchen isn’t nearly as terrifying as Hanzo expected it to be. While the kitchen was a more modern and updated version, Hanzo could safely admit that his kitchen had the same kind of feeling to it. While his kitchen was smaller, Jesse’s had a more open space about it, and Hanzo felt like he could actually move around without worrying about crashing into anything. He was rather impressed with it. Cooking felt a little more fun in the space, and while he wasn’t very good at cooking, Hanzo started to think of it as a fun project to keep him busy.

Time passed without Hanzo really paying attention. At one point during his dinner prep, he got another text message from Jesse. ‘On my way home now. Be there soon.’ It’s a simple text, and a little more simple than what Hanzo is used to receiving from Jesse. He tries not to overthink it, but something about the tone of the message makes Hanzo concerned.

He is working on the final dinner preparations when he hears the door lock coming undone. It takes a few moments for Jesse to walk in, but as he does he lets out a large groan. “Thank God I’m home,” he says as he tosses his keys towards the closest kitchen counter.

“Welcome home,” Hanzo chuckles. When Jesse hears him, he immediately turns to look at Hanzo with warm and appreciative eyes. It isn’t long before Jesse is walking towards Hanzo, both of his arms outstretched to hug him. Hanzo laughs as Jesse squeezes him. “Well, this is a welcome change.”

“Oh honey, you have no idea what kind of day I’ve had,” Jesse sighs. “And you have no idea how much seeing your face makes every minute of the day worth it.”

Hanzo smiles and he cups Jesse’s cheeks. The temptation to kiss him is great, but he does his best to suppress the urge. “You are home now. Rest easy now,” he says.

“Oh I think I will,” Jesse admits.

“Dinner is almost ready,” Hanzo says as he walks back to the stove top. “I hope you are satisfied with the type of meal we will be having.”

“I am not feeling particularly picky tonight,” Jesse says as he walks closer to the stove top. He sees a couple pots and pans scattered around, and he hums while he surveys the situation. “Hmm... I reckon there’s been some burgers made?”

Hanzo laughs. “Very smart. Yes, there are a few burgers waiting in the warmth of the microwave,” he says. “Genji also mentioned the importance of fries, so there are home cut fries in the oven.”

Jesse’s eyes seem to sparkle at the prospect of food. “Oh Hanzo, you’re spoiling me,” he says.

“Nonsense. I am simply serving a delicious meal,” Hanzo says. He pushes Jesse towards the dining room table. “Why don’t you have a seat while I finish dinner? I will even bring you a plate if you would like.”

“Oh no, Hanzo, I can’t have you make my dinner and serve me in my own home. I’ve got to be partially gentlemanly,” Jesse says. He puts his hand on Hanzo’s waist and pulls him in close. Hanzo practically melts against him. “At least let me give you a halfway decent and proper thank you.”

“There is no need for that,” Hanzo smiles, one hand reaching up to touch Jesse’s cheek again. “Save it for after the meal, if you feel so inclined to thank me.”

“Well alright, if you say so,” Jesse chuckles. His gaze on Hanzo lingers, the two of them holding their breath as if they are waiting for the other to make a move. Jesse gives Hanzo’s hips a gentle squeeze before he pulls away. Hanzo feels a little hint of disappointment as Jesse heads towards the refrigerator. As he opens the refrigerator door, Jesse asks, “can I get you anything to drink, darlin’?”

“What do you have available?” Hanzo asks.

“Just a few beer choices. I might have some wine, but I figured that might be too fancy for some burgers and fries?” Jesse asks with a laugh.

“Beer will be fine,” Hanzo says. Jesse hums to let Hanzo knows he agrees, reaching in the refrigerator to grab two beers. Hanzo notices there is a bottle opener affixed to the refrigerator when Jesse lifts a bottle to open it. After disposing of the cap, he hands the bottle to Hanzo. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Jesse says with a smile. “I could use something like this. Might need something a little bit heavier to forget everything that happened today.”

Hanzo wants to ask about Jesse's day, but he isn't sure if it is something Jesse might feel comfortable talking about just yet. He checks on the oven and decides the fries are ready. Jesse takes a seat on one of the bar stools as he watches Hanzo work. "Do you wish to find something heavier to drink at any point?" he decides to ask.

Jesse shrugs. "Nah, it really isn't that big of a deal. Drinking heavy booze isn't really a good way to cope with it either."

Now Hanzo is incredibly concerned. As he puts the fries on the stove top, he looks at Jesse with a slight frown. “Would you like to talk about it?” he asks.

Jesse sighs. It isn’t really a sign Hanzo can read well. After he takes a drink of his beer, Jesse rubs his eyes again. “Things just got a little rough at work, that’s all,” he says, though he is looking down at his beer bottle as he talks.

“Things were enough to bother you so much,” Hanzo says with a bit of caution. He decides to leave dinner alone for the moment, walking to the counter where Jesse sits. He reaches a hand out to grab Jesse’s, taking a hold of his wrist and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Tell me more about it, if you are feeling comfortable enough?”

Jesse sighs again. Hanzo is almost afraid of what he will hear Jesse say. But then he groans and lets out a chuckle. “I had a patron call me some pretty ridiculous things today.”

“Over what?” Hanzo asks.

“A fine that was less than a buck. Funny enough, the people that owe quarters and dimes are more likely to throw shit fits than the people who owe hundreds,” Jesse says. Hanzo is honestly surprised, his expression falling just a little. Jesse looks at him and laughs. “Yeah, that’s how I feel about it too.”

“And what kind of repercussions did this patron face?” Hanzo asks.

“Oh, nothing really. Can’t do anything to anyone until they either get violent or threaten someone’s life,” Jesse says. “But that’s just one part of it.”

“There is more?” Hanzo asks. By this point, he thinks he might want to slide into the seat next to Jesse, so he can wrap an arm around Jesse’s body and pull him in close.

Jesse laughs again. “That’s just the start, sweetheart,” he says, a hint of a bitter laugh in his voice. “We had so many people fall asleep in the library today. I woke some people up multiple times an hour.”

“Aren’t they removed from the area after so many attempts?” Hanzo asks. Jesse nods and takes another swig of his drink. “That is ridiculous.”

“Yeah. I can understand people getting comfortable, but there’s a difference between ‘I just need a power nap’ and ‘I’m sleeping a whole eight hours’, you know?” Jesse says. He looks at Hanzo, who nods and encourages him to keep talking. Jesse groans, shaking his head slightly as he presses his forehead into his palm. “It’s silly to get frustrated over the little things.”

“I believe the opposite,” Hanzo says. Jesse looks at him with a questioning eyebrow perched high. “I think the little things are the most frustrating, especially because they have a tendency to build up rather quickly.”

“Huh. That is a good way to look at it,” Jesse says. “That makes me feel a little bit better too, if I’m being honest.”

“I’m glad,” Hanzo says. “Did anything else happen today?”

Jesse gives Hanzo a slightly worried look before he continues. “Uhh, well, I did have to kick a couple people out for different reasons.”

“Oh?” Hanzo asks. “What happened? Tell me while I make a plate for you.”

“Oh no, honey, I’ll make my own plate. But I appreciate it,” Jesse says. “Alright, so you know the policies by now, right? If you ever want to use our computers, you’ve gotta follow a few rules.”

“Yes. That is something I am familiar with,” Hanzo says as he also stands. He follows Jesse around the countertop, thanking Jesse as he is handed a plate and watches Jesse grab hamburger buns from a cabinet shelf. Hanzo returns to the refrigerator to grab condiments and any other things they’ll need.

“So I get a couple people coming up to the desk, and they’re telling me this guy is in the computer lab looking at naked ladies and asses,” Jesse says. Hanzo nods to signal that he’s following along, but Jesse doesn’t see it. “So we each take turns going in to patrol the computer lab. It’s something we should be doing anyway, but time gets away from you and before you know it, it’s been a couple hours since the last check.”

Hanzo hums to let Jesse know he is listening while they serve themselves food. He lets Jesse go first, and he tries to contain his laughter as Jesse takes out some of his frustration on the ketchup bottle.

“Anyway, we go to check. This guy is the only one in the computer lab at this point, and sure enough, he’s looking at some pretty graphic stuff. There’s no denying what’s been on that computer screen.” Jesse is in the midst of his story, so enraptured by telling it that he doesn’t check to ensure Hanzo is following along, nor does he give him the opportunity to speak. Hanzo doesn’t want to interrupt anyway. “So Lena comes to grab me, and I go in there and tell this guy, “hey, we’ve been monitoring you. We know what you’ve been looking at. You’ve got to go, and you aren’t welcomed back.” And sure enough, this guy throws a shit fit.”

“He was angry at you?” Hanzo asks. He sits at the counter top again, waiting for Jesse to join him before he starts eating.

Jesse is nodding. “They always are. Ain’t ever a time where they don’t just own up to their actions and take responsibility,” he sighs. “So he starts going on about how other libraries in the world let their patrons look at porn, or how he has a right since he pays money to people that aren’t even relevant to library operations.” 

“He seriously argues with you about this situation?” Hanzo asks.  
“Mm-Hmm. Guess the guy thinks he’s in the right for some reason,” Jesse says as he nods. He takes a moment to eat a couple fries and a bite of his burger, moaning as he chews. “Oh, honey, this is so good,” he says.

“Thank you,” Hanzo replies, and he scoots a little closer to Jesse in an attempt to encourage him to continue.

He seems to get the message, because Jesse starts to shuffle his shoulders as he talks. “So this whole thing becomes a great big argument. I can’t get him to see my side and he sure as hell ain’t going to get me to see his. So as I’m calling security, he’s calling the police. Decides he’s going to try and charge the staff for harassment.”

“Can he do something like that?” Hanzo asks, pausing between eating his own food to ask.

“Hell no. But the cops have to be fair, even when I’ve got everyone on my team telling them he’s violating policy and we’re all just doing our jobs to make sure he follows the rules he signed up for.” Jesse takes another moment to pause and eat a couple bites of his food. Hanzo doesn't prompt him to keep telling the story too quickly, just lets Jesse get the story out in his own pace. Jesse continues after a moment. "So the cop show up, and they take statements and everything. Meanwhile this guy starts telling them we're the ones who are harassing him and trying to make him look like the bad guy. I don't know why he thought looking at graphic porn in a public library would get him out of trouble, but the cops eventually decide he's clearly in the wrong. The guy is asked to leave, both by us and by the cops. When the guy starts putting up a fight, the cops decide to arrest him."

Hanzo doesn't have any words to describe how he feels about the situation, but he does give Jesse a heavy sigh. "That is absolutely ridiculous," he says.

"I know. Thankfully, an arrest seems to calm him down just a tiny bit," Jesse says. He shrugs. "Of course, now that means I've got a police report to deal with for the rest of the week. I'm sure they'll be calling me multiple times to make sure I get my statements right and to ask if we want to press charges."

"Will you be pressing charges?" Hanzo asks. "I am not entirely certain on what kind of charges can be applied, but this sounds like a situation that got entirely out of hand."

"Yeah..." Jesse says with a sigh. "But no. We won't be pressing charges. At least, not yet. For now, the asshole is banned for at least a few months to a year."

"Why not indefinitely?" Hanzo asks.

Jesse snorts. "We save those for the real big trouble makers," he says before taking another drink from his beer. Hanzo almost gapes at him, completely surprised that some other kind of nightmare situation could possibly top the fiasco Jesse had just described. Jesse seems to sense Hanzo's disbelief, because he goes on to explain. "It takes a lot to indefinitely ban someone, because we're a public facility and we're supposed to be an open place for everyone. Of course, should you pose a threat to anyone and everyone in that area, you won't really be welcome back anytime soon."

Hanzo hums, understanding that aspect of the job. "And other cases?"

"It all depends on whoever is involved and the severity of the crime. Not to mention all the added layers that might come with it," Jesse says. He looks at Hanzo with a gaze that could mean a lot of things; a flirty one liner that's about to sweep Hanzo off of his feet, or a suggestion Jesse suddenly has that has taken more importance over the story. But Hanzo is learning how to read Jesse's expressions and emotions, and he knows this look can be used for multiple reasons, including telling juicy details in a story. "Do you know we once banned someone indefinitely for throwing a box of chicken nuggets at the reference desk?"

Hanzo doesn't want to laugh, but the noise comes out without warning. Hanzo almost chokes on his own breath, a hand coming up to cover his mouth while he tries not to grin. "Shut up. You are joking," he says.

"Oh honey, I wish I was," Jesse chuckles. "And would you like to know what this guy did to prompt that attack?"

"Please, indulge me," Hanzo says. He turns his body around to face Jesse a bit more, and he prompts his head up on his hand. "What could be so volatile that you deserve such a waste of food?"

"I told this guy- oh god, I don't know if I can get through this story without laughing," Jesse says with a chuckle, and he covers his own mouth with a couple fingers when a laugh starts to bubble through. Hanzo looks at him with surprised amusement, his own chuckles starting to return. "Oh geez, I told this guy that he still hadn't returned the movies that were long overdue on his card. And that he'd have to pay for every single one of them, or bring them back."

"Oh my god, you cannot be serious!"

"I am. I am one hundred percent serious," Jesse says. His chuckles have developed into full blown laughs. "And you know what he says to that?"

"What?"

"Either you find those movies on your shelves, cause I returned them, or you get them off my record. Cause there ain't no way in hell I'm paying for them!

"And when I told him neither one was happening? He decided to throw his dinner at me. And I'm talking a classic movie clip, where the actress is getting upset with the guy who's been cheating on her, and she's splashing a huge glass of water on him."

The mental image is so clear in Hanzo's mind, he cannot keep himself from laughing. Jesse is practically encouraging him too, as he keeps telling the story. "Those chicken nuggets come flying out of that flimsy cardboard box most places pack them in, and I'm so dumbfounded by the stupidity of it all, I don't even know how to react! I am seriously just standing there, looking at this guy with the dumbest expression anyone could possible thing of!"

Now they are both laughing. Hanzo is nearly doubled over trying to contain himself, but he knows the more Jesse tells the story, the harder and harder it is going to be. Jesse is wiping tears from his eyes, still laughing as he keeps talking. "Gabe eventually comes to the rescue and tells this guy to get out of the library and to never come back unless he figures out where these movies are. And until then, he's banned for good. All the while, I am just standing behind the desk with chicken nuggets scattered around me, wondering if I really had been attacked by someone's fast food dinner."

They lose themselves in laughing, continuing for a few minutes as they try to keep talking and keep the conversation going. Their efforts keep failing, because they keep falling into another fit of laughter the moment things calm down between them. Finally, after about a minute or two of laughing, Hanzo shakes his head and rubs his forehead with his palm. "I cannot believe you deal with such interesting people."

"Oh I know. The public is a really messed up group," Jesse says, his shoulders still shaking as they try to giggle a little less. Finally when they calm down, Jesse lets out a sigh and says, "but there are a lot of days where stupid shit happens, and sometimes it just gets to be too much to handle."

They sit in silence for a moment, and Hanzo reaches a hand over to put on top of Jesse's. "While I am glad you were not physically assaulted by a batch of fast food chicken nuggets today," he starts, pausing when Jesse stifles a laugh at his words, "I am truly sorry you had to experience so many people that were incredibly rude and disrespectful."

Jesse gives him a tired smile and he shrugs. "I guess it's part of the job description," he says. Hanzo grumbles in agreement. "Alright, enough about all of that, now. I think I have talked about my workplace enough and I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear anymore ridiculous stories about how humanity sucks," he says.

"Not unless they involve some sort of food item," Hanzo says. His comment sends Jesse into another laughing spell.

After dinner, Hanzo watches Jesse clean up while sipping on another beer. This time, he is the one telling stories. “My coworkers being gone doesn’t usually have a negative effect on my day, however with our boss being out as well, all hell could break loose.”

“Aww, I’m sorry darlin’,” Jesse says with a frown. He keeps his eyes on the dishes, glancing up at Hanzo with a smirk here and there. “Sounds like you might need a break.”

Hanzo sighs, rubbing his face with one hand. “A break might be an understatement. I managed to get most of my task list done today, but I may not be able to do so if tomorrow is a repeat of today.”

Jesse hums, grabbing a towel to start drying the dishes. “Well I hope your day is better tomorrow. But, in case it’s not, I was thinking we could get together again soon?” he asks. “Maybe… Maybe a day trip together this weekend?”

The words don’t register at first. Then Hanzo nearly drops his drink as a flush covers his cheeks. Jesse is looking at him with a dish still in his hand, waiting for an answer. “Wha… This weekend?” Hanzo asks.

“Uh, yeah, if you don’t have any plans?” Jesse asks again. He starts to dry the plate he’s holding, clearing his throat. “I figured since we weren’t able to spend as much time together tonight, we could find more time this weekend.”

A date. Hanzo can’t deny it any longer. Jesse is still looking at him, but he isn’t prompting Hanzo to answer. Hanzo is hearing his heartbeat in his ears. This is the closest thing he’ll get to a confirmation on Jesse’s feelings. He isn’t sure how to respond.

His silence makes Jesse shift on his feet. “Sorry if it’s short notice,” he starts.

“No!” Hanzo says. His response makes Jesse jump, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. Hanzo clears his throat, putting his drink down on the table as he takes a breath. “No, it is alright. I just didn’t know what to expect,” he says.

Jesse pauses, which gives Hanzo a chance to continue. “I would love to spend more time with you this weekend. Do you have any plans in mind?” Hanzo asks.

A grin spreads across Jesse’s face. Hanzo feels his heart flutter again at the sight of it. “I was thinking about doing a little bit of book shopping this weekend. Don’t get to do that too often, and never with a partner,” he says. He shrugs his shoulders, looking at Hanzo with a smile. “Would you be interested in going with me?”

Hanzo hadn’t been able to go to a bookstore in what feels like ages. The thought of going with Jesse sounds exciting, and he feels himself nodding before he answers. Jesse’s grin is getting wider. “I would love to go with you. Which bookstore will we be going to?” Hanzo asks.

“There’s this pretty small place about twenty minutes drive outside of the city. I go there whenever I get the chance,” Jesse explains. He puts the plate he’s drying on the counter, tossing the towel next to it. He joins Hanzo, sliding into the seat next to him. Hanzo feels like his face flushes as Jesse moves in closer. “I could swing by and pick you up? We could get coffee and maybe a bite to eat on the way there?”

“Yes. That sounds wonderful,” Hanzo says with a nod. “What time?”

“Would 10 be too early?”

“10 would be perfect.”

Jesse smiles. The hand he has resting on the table moves closer to Hanzo’s, and their fingers brush in a manner that asks permission. Hanzo barely moves his hand before Jesse is grabbing it, lacing their fingers together. “10 it is then. Saturday morning.”

“10am, Saturday morning,” Hanzo repeats.

His heart is thundering in his ears already, and he has to hold back from making a noise when Jesse moves their interlocked fingers towards his lips.


	6. Chapter 6

Hanzo hasn’t been excited for a date in years. He can’t really remember the last time we went on an official date. Genji had been trying to get him to find someone not long after he moved to the city, but quickly stopped when he realized how uncomfortable it was making Hanzo feel. Genji had been supportive of him from a distance, only asking Hanzo about his relationships when he felt like Hanzo was open to discussion.

His shifts the rest of the week seem to be endless. Hanzo isn’t usually the type to crave a weekend, but he can’t help thinking about his date with Jesse. His tasks only keep him occupied for so long, Jesse texting him from time to time to keep him distracted.

He keeps the date a secret from Genji at first, not certain if he wants to give Genji the satisfaction of being right so soon. Genji can know about everything when the date is over. He will want to know every detail anyway. On Friday night, he falls asleep thinking of possibilities.

On Saturday morning, Hanzo goes through his usual morning routine. He skips the meal and his preferred morning drinks, texting Jesse about meeting him at the front door of his apartment building. Jesse responds with can’t wait! and sends Hanzo a few heart emojis. Hanzo chuckles at the sight of them.

Hanzo makes a quick note of what books he might purchase, then feels the usual nerves associated with going out on a date settle in. He checks his reflection and straightens his clothing multiple times. He tried to keep his outfit casual with a pair of jeans and a blue button-up shirt. His hair is hanging loose, though he keeps a hair tie on hand in case he changes his mind later.

He tries not to get too wrapped up in his anxiety by heading out the door early. Jesse isn’t supposed to be meeting him for another five minutes, but Hanzo can’t wait any longer. As he heads down to the ground floor, he keeps glancing at his phone, wondering if Jesse will text him when he’s there or if he should tell Genji where is going now.

As he steps out the front door of his apartment building, Hanzo jumps at the sound of a car horn. When he looks around for the source, he finds Jesse leaning out of a driver’s side window of a truck, his arm up in a wave. “Hanzo! Sorry if I startled you,” he says.

Hanzo can’t see his entire outfit, but he is startled by the cowboy hat Jesse is wearing. He tries not to let it show, hoping his face isn’t turning a bright shade of red as he walks closer to the truck. “It is alright. I’m glad you were able to find the place. Were you waiting long?”

“Nah, just got here,” Jesse says. “Hop on in. We’ve got some book shopping to do.”

\--

The drive to the bookstore went well in Hanzo’s opinion. Jesse didn’t have anything playing on the radio, admitting he was more interested in listening to audiobooks and didn’t want to subject Hanzo to his recent read. Hanzo was impressed with how Jesse dressed. He was also wearing a pair of jeans, but he had a red flannel on and accented the cowboy hat with a pair of nice boots. When Jesse noticed he was staring, Hanzo quickly changed the subject to books. Jesse smirked, but let the topic drop.

Jesse surprised Hanzo by stopping at a donut shop, and the two of them get a couple coffee drinks and pick donuts for each other. Their breakfast doesn’t last long, and Jesse can tell Hanzo is eager to get to the bookstore, so they are back on the road before long. The bookstore isn’t too far from the donut shop either. It is just outside of the city limits, and the store is much bigger than Hanzo expected.

“Damn, that’s a pretty look on you,” Jesse says as they stand outside of the bookstore.

“What do you mean?” Hanzo asks.

“I think the bookstore is getting all the love and affection you’ve got right now,” Jesse laughs. The comment makes Hanzo blush, but he can’t help feeling Jesse is partially right.

Hanzo clears his throat as he starts walking. “Well, we can only admire it for so long before my curiosity gets the best of me,” he says. Jesse laughs, but he follows right behind Hanzo.

Walking into the bookstore, Hanzo watches Jesse to see what he gravitates towards first. Jesse seems to have the same idea, looking at Hanzo with a grin. “Well, what would you like to look at first?” he asks.

“I wanted to see what you were interested in first,” Hanzo says. “If that is alright with you?”

“Sure thing. I tend to wander without anything in mind, but I’m in the mood for some mystery,” Jesse says. He leads the way, walking towards the stairs leading up to the next floor.

Hanzo decides to use this time to start conversation. “You said you frequent this store often?”

“As much as I can. So if you have any questions about the layout, I probably know just as much as the workers,” Jesse laughs. “Plus they’ve got some great seating areas. I spend a lot of time in those.”

“Previewing the materials you plan on purchasing for yourself?” Hanzo asks. “Or perhaps even the library.”

“Yep.” Jesse’s reply is quick, and he points in a direction when they get to the top of the stairs. “Over there’s gonna be the westerns, romance, and some contemporary titles. We could check out those shelves first if you want?”

Hanzo feels the temptation to look overwhelm him. “You wanted to look at mysteries,” he says.

“I can glance at them if you get into the stuff you find,” Jesse says. “Plus I’ve got some ideas for you.”

They head towards the romance section after all. Hanzo almost feels embarrassed by how little he remembers from his own past bookstore trips, because the shelves look so vast and yet so overwhelming. Jesse is quick to tell him they are in order much like they shelve books at the library, and when Hanzo shows him the list he brought along, Jesse starts to find them quick.

It’s when Jesse is holding five books when Hanzo says, “you seem incredibly knowledgeable about these books as well. I thought you weren’t a fan of them?” He tries to come off as funny, but Jesse seems to go rigid at the comment, and Hanzo thinks perhaps he’s said something wrong.

But Jesse does start laughing after a second. “Ah, well, you get to know your stuff when you work around it so much,” he says. He shoots Hanzo a grin, and that helps Hanzo feel a little bit better about his comments. “But hey, any other books you wanted to look at here?”

“Oh, no. I think you have chosen more than enough for me,” Hanzo says. “I can hold them, if you want to head to the mystery selection?”

Jesse shrugs. “That’ll work. If you want, I can show you one of those nice reading areas and you can get a head start on one of these?”

“Nonsense. I want to see what you like as well.”

“Oh Han,” Jesse says, a grin on his face. “You’re in for a treat.”

\--

They wind up going through most of the sections in the store. Hanzo is surprised to see Jesse take an interest in crafting, particularly knitting. He finds a couple more books in the nonfiction section, and even helps Jesse pick a few titles that they both might enjoy. Hanzo spends most of the time thinking about how nice it is spending time with someone with a mutual interest, especially Jesse. When there is a lull in conversation, Hanzo’s thoughts drift towards wishing the day wouldn’t end.

To his surprise, Jesse pays for his books. “Consider it my treat. There’s no greater gift than the gift of a good book,” Jesse says when Hanzo tries to argue, the two of them walking out of the bookstore.

“At least allow me to pay for dinner,” Hanzo says. Jesse purses his lips, cupping his chin as he feigns considering it as they reach Jesse’s truck. “I cannot let you be the only one to treat someone you love.”

The word slips out, and at first Hanzo doesn’t think too much about it. But Jesse goes silent at the mention, and Hanzo mentally slaps himself for letting it slip. “I’m sorry, we are moving too fast,” he whispers.

Jesse hums, and he holds a finger up. “Is it too fast for you?” he asks. “Because I’ve been wanting to get closer to you since day one.”

Hanzo blushes, watching as Jesse takes the bag of books from his hands. As Jesse loads them into a box fitted into the back of his trick, he keeps talking. “I’m sorry if I’m rushing you into anything.”

“No,” Hanzo says. He feels like it isn’t possible to be so invested in a relationship so quickly. But at the same time, part of it just feels right.

“I’ve been feeling something about you since the moment I met you,” Jesse continues. When the box is latched shut, he leans against the truck, giving Hanzo space. “To be honest, I was kind of surprised you seemed interested in me.”

“I could say the same to you,” Hanzo says. He steps forward, wanting to get closer to Jesse, but fearing closing the distance might be too overwhelming. “I hope I am not overstepping any boundaries, though. I… It has been some time since I’ve felt an attraction towards anyone.”

He wants to slap himself. He feels utterly ridiculous, and it must show. Jesse is watching him with a neutral expression, and Hanzo can’t tell if he appreciates it, or if it makes him feel worse. “Perhaps admissions of love might be going too far, but I enjoy this. I told you before, I enjoy your company.”

Jesse stays silent for a moment. Hanzo fears the worst, his thoughts convincing him he has ruined this date. It was going so well, too. But Jesse surprises him by smiling and nodding. “I enjoy your company too. And I don’t want to rush this. I want you to be comfortable,” he says. He extends a hand, and Hanzo tentatively takes it expecting a handshake. He is surprised when Jesse laces their fingers together, gives his hand a gentle squeeze. “How about we keep things simple for now. I like you, Hanzo. I like you a lot.”

The warmth of his voice, paired with the understanding and the willingness to change, to keep things going, melts Hanzo’s anxiety away. He smiles, nodding as he gives Jesse’s hand a squeeze back. “I like you a lot as well,” he admits. “Enough to want to buy you dinner.”

“What kind of food you have in mind?” Jesse asks. He squeezes Hanzo’s hand once more before letting go. “I know of a great place that has the best apple pie. Think you might be interested?”

Hanzo agrees, and climbing into the truck, he feels at ease once again.

\--

They meet at least twice a week. For dinner, for coffee, just to say hi. Hanzo tries to see Jesse as much as four days in a row if he can manage. Jesse’s weekends aren’t always guaranteed, so they find time during the week. They take turns cooking for each other. Sometimes, Hanzo meets Jesse for an early morning coffee. Genji seems to be happy with their relationship progress, asking Hanzo when he’ll get to reintroduce himself to Jesse.

They haven’t progressed to the love stages either. Kisses to fingers have moved to cheeks, then to lips. They haven’t been heated, but Hanzo can picture their relationship will progress to something deeper given time.

There are days where Jesse’s work gets in the way though. Sometimes he has to stay late, and other days he goes in when he’s supposed to have the day off. Jesse is good about giving him some warning though, which is what happens when Hanzo gets a text during his lunch break. Gonna have to pull a late shift tonight, but still free for coffee when your shift ends?

Hanzo feels a pang of disappointment, but he understands. He has to take some of his work home as well, hoping to get a new assignment proposal done. We can reschedule for another day this week. Let me know what works best for you.

Jesse responds quickly. You’re the best, darlin. <3

At the end of his shift, he texts Jesse to let him know he’s heading to Night Owl. To his surprise, Jesse tells him he’s already on the way, which makes him rush a little to get there on time. The distance isn’t far, so he makes it there without being too late. He can see Jesse in the window, a laptop in front of him.

As he walks into Night Owl, Jesse looks up and gives him a smile. The laptop closes, and Hanzo feels a thrill knowing he is taking precedence over work. “Hey darlin’,” Jesse says as Hanzo approaches. He has already ordered coffee, and a pastry sits on the table for Hanzo. “Thanks for agreeing to alter the plans on such a short notice.”

“Any time, Jesse,” Hanzo says. “How long do I have you?”

“About 40 minutes, then I gotta get back to work,” Jesse sighs. His shoulders slump a little, but he gives Hanzo a tired smile. “Want me to go grab you a cup of coffee?”

“I can get it, but thank you,” Hanzo says. He sets his own bag down on the table, leaning in to kiss Jesse’s cheek. “Is there anything I can get for you?”

“No, I’m alright. But don’t be gone long.”

Hanzo chuckles before he walks towards the counter. The barista is ready for him, and he gives her his usual order. “Medium caramel latte with soy milk, please,” he says.

“You got it, hon,” she says. “I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”

Hanzo hands her cash, telling her to keep the change. As he turns back to the table, he hears the door open, and glances just to see who is walking in. A woman with white hair stands in the doorway, dressed in a business suit and carrying a suitcase. There is an angry scowl on her face under the makeup she wears.

He thinks nothing of her, perhaps chancing she’s had a bad day, when she sets her eyes on Jesse. “McCree!” she shouts. “The hell do you think you’re doing?”

Jesse is looking at the woman with fear. Hanzo doesn’t know what this woman has to do with Jesse, but they clearly have some sort of connection. She storms over to his table, practically dropping her suitcase on the table to cross her arms over her chest. Jesse is watching her the whole time.

“I swear, Jesse, you can’t dodge my phone calls so close to a damned deadline! The publisher isn’t going to be too happy to hear you’re not ready,” she spouts, not giving Jesse an opportunity to say anything.

Hanzo decides this is his moment to interject. Walking up to the table, he clears his throat before he speaks. “Excuse me. Is there a problem?”

The woman’s anger is directed towards him. But she seems to cool down just enough to open her suitcase. She pulls out a business card, practically thrusting it into Hanzo’s hands. “The name’s Elizabeth Caledonia, but you can call me Ashe. I’m here because someone,” she hisses as she casts her glance at Jesse, “has decided to miss his deadlines.”

“Ashe, this isn’t the time-”

“Shut up, I’ve been trying to contact you all day!”

Hanzo reads over the business card he’s been handed. Under the woman’s name, her title is listed as Literary Agent, representing a Good Western Publishing company.

Good Western Publishing? That’s…

“What is going on?” Hanzo asks. He is looking at Jesse, who has directed his worried gaze towards Hanzo. Jesse is holding his breath, and for a moment Hanzo is afraid to ask why. “Who is this woman? And why do you need a literary agent?”

There is a pause. Ashe seems to want to answer, but she decides to tap her foot against the floor while looking towards Jesse. For a moment, Jesse doesn’t say anything. Then he sighs, his shoulders slump, and he rubs at his face. “Ashe, I told you I’d call you back in an hour.”

His answer sets of another scoff from Ashe. “Jesse, they want to know what your progress is 5 hours ago!” she says, almost a snarl. “Don’t tell me you were planning to write it all real quick tonight. You know damn well that doesn’t work for you.”

“Yeah, but I’ve got another job and other business to attend to.”

“What.” Hanzo tries again. His voice is more firm, loud enough to cut them both off before they can start an argument. “Is going on?”

Another pause, then Jesse speaks up. “Sit down, darlin’. I’ve got some news for you.”

Hanzo isn’t sure what to do. Ashe seems to find Jesse’s words amusing, as she sits in one of the available seats. She even gestures for Hanzo to sit down, her arms crossed over her chest the moment he is sitting.

Jesse leans forward, his elbows on the table. He extends one hand towards Hanzo, and Hanzo tentatively reaches for it. “I’m about to tell you a big secret. Know one really knows, but I should have told you a lot sooner,” Jesse explains. He gives Hanzo a chance to speak, but Hanzo stays silent. He decides to continue. “Hanzo, I’m Joel Morricone.”

The news is a shock. Hanzo’s eyes go wide, his mouth goes dry. Jesse is looking at him with such sincerity, there is no way he could be joking. He is telling the truth, and the appearance of Ashe- his literary agent- is more than enough to prove it.

“Wh-What?” Hanzo asks. It is the only response he can verbalize.

“I’m-” Jesse starts to say again. He’s cut off though when Hanzo jerks his hand out of his grip. He looks pained as Hanzo grabs his bag, standing so quickly the chair he’s sitting in nearly topples over. “Hanzo, wait-”

Hanzo doesn’t stop though, storming out of the place as the barista calls his name for his coffee.


	7. Chapter 7

“I’m Joel Morricone.”

“I’m Joel Morricone.”

Jesse. Jesse is Joel Morricone.

The thought won’t leave Hanzo’s every waking thought. The shock had sent him reeling at first, and he doesn’t have time to feel embarrassed about how his first response was to run. Hanzo doesn’t realize he has fled until he is almost back at his apartment. Glancing at his phone shows several missed calls, all from Jesse.

Jesse is Joel Morricone.

His heart beats faster. He feels guilty for running off. He feels stupid for not realizing it sooner. He feels foolish for being so affected.

And yet, he doesn’t know what the proper response should be.

All the times he saw Jesse holding a Joel Morricone book should have given it away. Jesse wasn’t a big fan of Morricone because he is Morricone. He would know so much about the storytelling in them not because of reading them, but because he is the author of them.

Oh, Hanzo thinks, how incredibly foolish of me.

Genji had also been texting him. His first message came just before Jesse’s revelation. Free for dinner?

Or are you too busy seeing the circ manager? ; )

Anjia?

Hanzo decides a call is a better response since he hasn’t responded in some time. As he listens to the dial tone though, he doesn’t know what he’ll say. He doesn’t know what to tell Genji. Revealing too much would expose his own secrets. Letting Genji know about Jesse’s true identity would leave Hanzo vulnerable too.

He doesn’t have much time to think about it though, because as soon as Genji answers, he says. “Come to my apartment. I require your assistance.”

\--

Genji comes more than prepared. He’s carrying various junk food items and some quick meals from the convenience stores, along with a couple bags from one of their favorite fast food joints. Zenyatta walks in holding a box. Hanzo presumes there is some kind of pastry or baked good inside. Genji doesn’t give him an opportunity to inspect though, as he drops everything he carries on Hanzo’s kitchen table before rushing to Hanzo’s side. And he immediately starts bombarding him with questions. “Are you okay? Is Jesse involved? What happened?”

“It is not an emergency, Genji. Please, sit down.”

Hanzo decides to tell Genji everything, from the books he reads to the moment Jesse told him the truth. Genji is an attentive listener through it all. Zenyatta is also listening, though he is unpacking the bags in the kitchen and waits patiently for Hanzo to stop explaining before he lets them know everything is ready. By the time Hanzo is done explaining, Genji looks partially stunned.

And his first response, “and you ran away from him… why?” It makes Hanzo feel guilty all over again.

“I do not know. I panicked,” Hanzo says. He groans as he rubs his face with both hands. “I cannot say why the news shocked me so much. Looking back, I notice obvious signs I should have realized before.”

“Well, if he went through so much to make sure you weren’t able to figure it out, maybe those signs weren’t so clear after all?” Genji asks. “But more importantly, you just left without saying anything? Where were you two?”

“The coffee shop below his apartment. We were having a late lunch.”

Genji lets out a sigh as he hunches forward, his head drooping a bit between his shoulders. “Anjia… He didn’t hurt you, right?”

At this question, Hanzo feels the guilt rising. “No. Never,” he mutters.

“Alright. I wanted to make sure I didn’t have to kick his ass,” Genji says. Hanzo would usually find the words comforting, even funny. Right now, he is still feeling shame. “Has he tried to call you?”

“Multiple times,” Hanzo says, glancing at his phone sitting by the window. He almost winces when he notices it sits beside a stack of books, all Morricone- Jesse’s- books.

Genji seems to notice, and he clears his throat to get Hanzo’s attention again. “Are you two… Has the relationship progressed beyond client and professional?” he asks.

Hanzo is silent for a moment as he ponders an answer. With a sigh he says, “it has. And I… I need to think before it progresses any further.”

“I understand,” Genji says. He stands, walking closer to Hanzo and extending a hand towards him. “I will contact Jesse to let him know you are safe, in case he is worried. You should eat something. I can hear your stomach growling loud and clear.”

“I am not hungry,” Hanzo tries to argue, but his stomach does rumble at the thought of food. Genji smirks and helps pull Hanzo to his feet. “I suppose a little bit of food wouldn’t hurt though.”

“A little,” Genji scoffs, patting Hanzo’s shoulder. “We brought enough to feed a small army. You better eat until you can’t eat anymore.”

\--

Going back to work isn’t as difficult as Hanzo expected it to be.

He isn’t as far behind on his projects as he initially anticipated. Focusing on the library is a bit of trouble, but he is able to push through. He contacts everyone involved in the current progress of the renovations, sending an email to Jack to check in. He attaches Jesse’s email address to the message, but as he hits send, he anticipates he won’t be getting a response back.

Jesse has texted him a couple times since they last met in person. Almost all of the messages have been about work related topics. Hanzo responded once when Jesse had a question, and it takes a lot for Hanzo to keep the answer brief. He has yet to apologize for running out on Jesse, but he thinks it would be impolite to apologize over text or by phone.

He isn’t ready to meet Jesse in person again though. Not until he can really come to terms with just how much Jesse means to him. Their relationship progressed faster than Hanzo anticipated, and he is still feeling ashamed about breaking his own rules about dating clients. Hanzo had fallen into old ways; falling fast, falling hard, and feeling the crushing blow when things don’t always go his way.

And he still isn’t sure how to react to the news of Jesse’s real identity. The more time passes, the more Hanzo feels ridiculous for reacting in such a way. He thinks it could be worse though. He could have asked Jesse for an autograph, like most of the obsessive fans Hanzo only hears stories about. Jesse keeps his author profession hidden for a reason, presumably. Hanzo doesn’t even know how long it has been kept secret, or who else knows.

It’s Wednesday, when he is finally back on track with his work, that he decides to go out during his lunch break. He makes a stop at Reinhardt’s bakery, then walks to Night Owl for coffee. Returning to the coffee shop almost feels wrong, but he hopes Jesse might be there. Walking in though, he is disappointed to find Jesse isn’t anywhere to be seen.

“It really isn’t any of my business, but where have you been?”

Hanzo flushes when he realizes the barista is the same one who let him into Jesse’s apartment. She looks mildly concerned, a cup and pen in hand. “I beg your pardon?” Hanzo asks.

“Sorry, I’m getting too involved in customer business,” she sighs, but she doesn’t stop. “Jesse hasn’t been stopping in as often, and we realized we haven’t seen you around as much. Did something happen between you two?”

“Um. In some way, I suppose,” Hanzo says. “I partially came here to see if I might run into him.”

“I can let him know you stopped by?” the barista says. She seems to have a hopeful tone.

He shakes his head though. “That won’t be necessary. I will try to reach out to him another time.”

On his way back to work, he gets a text from Jack. They have one more meeting they agreed to schedule before the bulk of the renovations would start. Friday morning, 9am. Possible for you?

And for a moment, Hanzo realizes he has memorized parts of Jesse’s schedule, because he knows Jesse will be there during that time. Jesse has always had a Friday morning shift in the few weeks they have been talking. Jesse had even told Genji his schedule, as if he wanted to pass along the information to Hanzo without directly telling him. Friday morning would mean more than getting business done. It could mean seeing Jesse.

He takes a deep breath, and simply replies with, I will be there.

\--

Friday morning starts like any other. Hanzo breezes through his routine at his usual pace. He doesn’t get a text message from his boss. He doesn’t use any of his spare time to read. He leaves a little early to make a pit stop at Reinhardt’s bakery, grabbing a small box of pastries to take with him to the meeting.

Jack is waiting for him at the staff only entrance, and he seems to perk up a bit at the sight of the pastry box. “You didn’t have to bribe us, you have our business,” he says.

“This is simply a thank you. And I was craving something sweet this morning,” Hanzo explains. They share a brief laugh before Jack leads Hanzo down the familiar halls towards the meeting rooms. Along the way, they pass Jesse’s office, and Hanzo chances a glance into the room to see if Jesse is there. He isn’t.

A moment of panic sets in. “Is Jesse not here today?” Hanzo asks.

“He is. We had a call off, so he offered to work the desk until someone else could come in,” Jack explains.

“Oh, I see.” There is still a chance for them to see each other then. Hanzo doesn’t know how much Jesse has told Jack, or if anyone at the library knows the extent of their relationship. He doesn’t intend to be the one to break the news to Jack either.

As they enter the meeting room, Gabriel is sitting at the table with his arms crossed. The way he moves makes Hanzo think he had his feet propped up, and the way Jack looks at him with a scowl confirms Hanzo’s suspicions. “Decided to bring us something?” he asks.

“Just wanted to share some of my favorite baked goods from a place near my apartment,” Hanzo explains as he puts the box on the table.

Jack and Hanzo take a seat as Gabriel leans forward, propping himself up on his elbows. “So we don’t have much to discuss with this meeting,” Jack says. He takes the same position as Gabriel. Hanzo finds it amusing. “I think we are on track with the interior renovation and should be done by the first of the year.”

“Possibly even sooner,” Hanzo chimes in. “I have found and hired professionals to help complete the project as quickly as possible. I have all of their contact information here.” Hanzo pauses to produce a sheet, full of the information he has gathered, and he lays it on the table for Jack and Gabriel to see. “And should there be any issue, you can contact each one directly, or I may take care of the business for you.”

“Shimada,” Jack says, holding the list up as he glances over it. He is mostly expressionless, but he gives Hanzo a small smile. “Well done. I am impressed.”

“Mmm,” Gabriel says, flipping the sheet over. “Maybe we’ll have to start considering the exterior reno after all. And take those security upgrades more seriously.”

Jack seem to roll his eyes and groans. “Yeah, those are pretty important. We should probably get to them before we both retire,” he says.

“Who said anything about retirement?” Gabriel asks.

Hanzo has to hold back a chuckle, and they get caught up in various conversations. It isn’t long before Gabriel has to leave again, and Jack notices the time. “We’ve kept you for nearly an hour. We probably shouldn’t keep you too much longer,” he says.

“It is not a problem. We’ve managed to get a lot of work done,” Hanzo says. He shuffles the papers he plans to keep back into his files, as well as wipes his fingers of the pastry he ate in the middle of the meeting. “Again, if you would like to schedule another meeting at any point, I am willing to stop by.”

Jack nods and says, “and you wouldn’t mind seeing Jesse?”

Hanzo feels a chill go down his spine. Jack seems to chuckle, putting a hand up in an attempt to help Hanzo feel better. “Easy. It’s not anything we haven’t noticed. Jesse isn’t great about keeping personal information very private.”

“How much do you know?” Hanzo asks. Maybe Jack knows about the Morricone identity?

“Enough to know that he’s been seeing you. And that’s fine,” Jack says. “We aren’t about to tell you that this isn’t professional or that you two need to stop. But Jesse has been kind of quiet lately, and I thought you might know why.”

Jack pauses to clear his throat, casting a glance towards the door. Hanzo almost expects someone, maybe Gabriel or Jesse, to be standing there. There is no one. Jack continues, “You two have been somewhat close, as far as I can see. And Gabriel has had his suspicions.”

“I… I’m sorry. We should have been more open about this sooner,” Hanzo says.

“But, things probably hasn’t progressed to a point worth noting?” Jack asks.

It isn’t far from the truth. Hanzo doesn’t really know how to respond, so Jack shrugs his shoulders. “It isn’t a problem. But if you could talk to Jesse, maybe get him to open up again, we’d appreciate it. He hasn’t been himself, as of late.”

Hanzo is already bowing his head. “I apologize again for not mentioning it sooner,” he says.

“Nah, don’t worry. But take one of these pastries to his office, before you go. He might be there now.”

They decide to part ways from there. Hanzo has one pastry wrapped loosely in a napkin, Jack taking the box to the staff break room to share with everyone else. The walk to Jesse’s office is quick, and the door is partially closed. Hanzo leans a little close to listen, and he can hear someone inside. A lump forms in his throat and he can hear his heart pounding in his ears. Knock, he tells himself, and he lifts his hand to gently rap his knuckles against the door.

A pause, then Hanzo hears Jesse call out. “Come on in.”

As Hanzo pushes the door open, he tries to calm himself. The fear isn’t overwhelming yet, but he can tell it won’t be long before he gets there. Jesse is facing away from the door, working on something on his computer. When the door is fully opened, Jesse still doesn’t turn around, and Hanzo watches him for a few seconds.

Thoughts are swirling in his head. How could you keep it a secret from me? How long have you been Joel Morricone? When were you planning to tell me? But what comes out of Hanzo’s mouth is simply, “is this a bad time?”

Jesse stops. He turns his head and Hanzo can see all of the emotions he experienced; confusion, fear, and a little bit of hope. “Hanzo?” Jesse asks, barely a whisper.

“I would like to talk to you,” Hanzo says, trying to keep his voice even. “Is this a bad time?”

Jesse stares at him for a moment before he shakes his head. “No. No, it-it’s not. It is, but-” Jesse stops, groaning as he rubs his face with both hands. Hanzo raises an eyebrow at him in confusion. When Jesse peers at Hanzo between his fingers, Hanzo can’t help smiling a bit. “It’s been a rough day so far. Didn’t expect to see you, is all.”

“I was stopping in for a meeting,” Hanzo explains. The pastry in his hands is suddenly a much heavier weight, and he holds it up for Jesse to see. “I… I brought pastries.”

“Oh. Oh, right. Forgot about that,” Jesse grumbles. He stands, reaching across his desk for the pastry Hanzo extends towards him. “Where did you get the baked goods?”

 

“A bakery near my apartment. It is one of my favorite places.”

Jesse hums, unwrapping the pastry and making a noise of approval. “Ooh, looks good.” He glances towards Hanzo as if he is searching for approval. Hanzo nods, and Jesse takes a bite. Jesse immediately groans, looking at Hanzo with a smile. “It’s delicious,” he says after swallowing.

“Thank you. It is one of my favorites,” Hanzo says.

They share a smile, which turns into an awkward pause, then Hanzo clears his throat. “I… I wanted to talk to you about what happened.”

Jesse is licking his fingers clean after finishing the pastry. He hums, and the smile in his eyes falls. “I’d love to talk about it. I’ve been thinking about it nonstop,” he says. His shoulders slump though. “Not a good moment for it though. Not with a call off and my backup being unavailable.”

“I understand,” Hanzo says. He feels disappointed, but Jesse seems to be open to discussion. “Perhaps another time? One that might work better for you?”

“Yeah, yeah. What’s a good time for you?” Jesse asks.

“My lunch hour begins at 12:30,” Hanzo says. Jesse seems to be startled by the response, but there is a hint of a smile at the corners of his lips. “Meet me at Night Owl?”

“My treat,” Jesse says. “If that’s alright with you?”

Hanzo nods. Then he gives Jesse a slight bow. “I do not want to keep you from work,” he says.

“Not a problem. But thanks for stopping in,” Jesse says.

“I will see you at 12:30 then,” Hanzo says, and he puts a hand up to give Jesse a wave.

Jesse puts a hand up to wave back at Hanzo. “See you then, darlin’,” he says. Hanzo’s heart almost aches at the nickname, a part of him willing to throw all of his resolve out the window so he can open his heart to the man standing right in front of him. But he steels himself, and as he leaves Jesse’s office, he chances one last glance over his shoulder. Jesse is still smiling at him, even winks and mouths, “see you later.”

Hanzo thinks his lunch break couldn’t come soon enough.


	8. Chapter 8

He arrives at Night Owl early and, surprisingly, finds that he isn’t as anxious about their meeting anymore. While most of his morning had kept him tied up with projects and another meeting, Hanzo managed to find time to relax. Genji had sent him words of encouragement and offered to be an excuse should Hanzo need to duck out of work early. Jesse has also texted him once. on my way, be there shortly.

Hanzo goes ahead and orders. The barista is happy to see him, even more so when he mentions Jesse will be meeting him there. She takes his order and when he offers to pay, she shakes her head and says, “it’s already covered.” Hanzo decides to put the money in her tip jar as a thank you.

He finds a somewhat secluded area on the second floor, texting Jesse to let him know where to find him. Settling into a seat, Hanzo realizes it’s the same table he sat at when he first met Jesse at the coffee shop. The irony of it partially amuses him, but brings a bittersweet twinge of anxiety. What if this doesn’t go well?

He jumps at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, but relaxes when the barista appears holding the coffees he ordered. She gives him a warm smile and a wink. “If you guys need anything, feel free to ask. We don’t want to see you storming out of the building again.”

“I didn’t get to properly apologize for that. I’m sorry,” Hanzo says with a bow.

She also bows. “Thank you, but don’t worry. Just as long as you two reach a civil agreement,” she says.

“I’ll do my best,” Hanzo says. An attempt to reassure himself, if he really thinks about it. She laughs though, giving him a wave as she turns to leave.

There are footsteps coming up the stairs again, and Jesse appears just before the barista starts to descend. He looks at her, then to Hanzo, apologizing for being in her way before he side steps and nearly runs to the table. Hanzo’s throat constricts, both in excitement at seeing how eager Jesse is, but also in fear.

When Jesse sits down, he notices the coffees and frowns. “You didn’t have to buy me coffee,” he says.

“I didn’t. They’re on the house,” Hanzo says, casting a glance at the barista one last time. She gives them a wave just before she disappears down the stairs.

Jesse gives a light chuckle, but he slumps back into his chair. Silence falls between them, neither one knowing where to start. Hanzo opens his mouth to say something before Jesse cuts him off. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Hanzo’s train of thought is slightly derailed. “I… wanted to ask you about that. How long have you been writing as Joel Morricone?”

“It was a thing I thought of in college,” Jesse says. “Part of an old journalism assignment. We had to craft a news article using an alias, and it was a name that stuck when I started taking writing more seriously.”

Hanzo nods, taking a sip of coffee as Jesse continues. “I really didn’t plan to write cowboy romance novels, but I did it once to help pay some bills down, and it was a pretty big hit.”

“His Southern Comforts?” Hanzo asks. Jesse groans, but there is a hint of a grin as he covers his face. Hanzo takes that opportunity to continue. “It was my first, of course. But it had been some time after he… you. You published your third book.”

“Aww, you mean to tell me you haven’t been a fan since the release of my first book?” Jesse teases. His face takes on a more serious look though, and his hands wrap around his coffee as if it will keep him grounded. “Anyway, I’d been working at the library for long enough to know it was a serious gig, but I needed some extra spending cash, so I kept it up. I’d always wanted to be a writer, but I was planning to write different kinds of things.

“Course, time flies and before you know it, you’ve written several successful books, but something still doesn’t feel right. That contemporary idea you had won’t transfer well to paper. You can’t figure out how to make that rare horror idea work out. You just kind of default to what you know will work. And that’s how you become popular western romance author Joel Morricone.”

He pauses to take a drink, and maybe to give Hanzo a moment to ask another question. But Hanzo stays quiet for now, and Jesse rubs the back of his head. “I like writing the genre, honestly. Enjoy quite a bit of it myself. But it’s getting hard to keep it as quiet with the books becoming more popular.”

“Does anyone else know?” Hanzo asks.

Jesse shakes his head. “I think some people have hunches. Maybe Gabe. But the only reason I think that is because he’s almost caught be on the phone with my agent a couple times and I didn’t really try to explain my way out of it.”

Hanzo hums. “And when were you planning on telling me?”

Pursing his lips, Jesse looks down at his coffee while he spins it gently over the table. “Should have done it sooner. I’m sorry I kept it from you.”

“It is alright. I apologize for the way I reacted,” Hanzo says. “I suppose I didn’t really know how to react to it. It was certainly not what I expected.”

“You can say that again. I figured the first fan that recognized me would be asking for an autograph,” Jesse laughs. He manages to get a couple chuckles out of Hanzo as well. But as he sighs again, he is looking back at his coffee cup. “Of course, I didn’t anticipate I’d find a fan that was so into them. Didn’t think I’d find them so attractive either.”

Jesse’s words send a warmth through Hanzo’s chest. He hums, looking down at his own coffee. “I did not anticipate falling for a client, either. You have made me break my own self imposed protocol.”

“Guess we both fucked up, huh?” Jesse asks.

Hanzo laughs and shakes his head. “That we have.”

A comfortable silence falls over them. Hanzo holds onto his coffee the same way Jesse does. He takes a deep breath before he continues. “I still have feelings for you. They haven’t changed, though I have struggled with accepting that my love interest is my favorite author.”

Jesse bites on his bottom lip. “Guess it’s the best of both worlds for you,” he mutters. One of his hands comes off the coffee cup to lay on the table. “And I feel just as strongly about you. Watching you run out made me realize how big of a mistake I made not being honest with you sooner.”

Hanzo looks at Jesse’s hand, conflicted on if he should take it or not. “I was hoping to keep the relationship as professional as possible. But I have come to realize that it will not be possible. Too many people already know of it.”

“Yeah. I haven’t really said anything to Jack, but he’s pretty good at finding out about these things,” Jesse says. “And Lena has been on my case wanting to know more information.”

“I am alright with letting people know,” Hanzo says. “Especially now, after going so many days without seeing you or speaking to you for longer than a minute or so.”

Hanzo lets go of his coffee cup and touches Jesse’s hand. Jesse reacts by flipping his hand over, gently cupping Hanzo’s fingers with his own. “I will admit though,” Hanzo says with a sigh, “we both need to work on our prioritization.”

“Oh god, you heard Ashe chewing out my ass the other day. She told me if I slack off like that again, she’ll kill me,” Jesse says. Hanzo can’t hold back the laugh that escapes his chest, but he does feel some sympathy for Jesse. “I tried to use the excuse that the super attractive architect was distracting me, but she didn’t buy it.”

“I can’t say my boss would appreciate my excuse of falling for the cowboy author, either,” Hanzo says.

They share another laugh before taking sips of their coffee. Jesse’s hand holds Hanzo’s a little tighter, and he gives Hanzo’s fingers a little squeeze. “Want to pick up where we left off?” he asks. “Let me start. I’m an author, you may have heard of my work. Name’s Joel Morricone.”

“Oh, I have. I’ll have you sign every book I own,” Hanzo says. “And I’m the architect hired to work on your day job. I think I’ve fallen quite hard for you.”

Jesse grins, his hand lifting Hanzo’s to press a kiss against his fingers. “I think I’ve fallen for you, too.”

Hanzo smiles, then reaches with the hand Jesse holds to caress Jesse’s cheek. “I’d very much like to kiss you,” he says.

“I’d like that too,” Jesse says. The two of them meet halfway, leaning across the table to press their lips together. In that moment, all of Hanzo’s anxieties melt away, leaving warmth and excitement. Jesse hums, putting his own hand under Hanzo’s chin to hold him place as they kiss again.

Suddenly, a phone goes off. They separate, and Hanzo has to resist pouting as Jesse looks at his phone to see what’s happening. He groans, looking at Hanzo with a frown. “Lunch break is almost over. Gabe texted me to remind me not to be late.”

“Just tell work you have fallen ill,” Hanzo says. “I don’t want to go back to my own office.”

“Oh how I’d much rather spend the rest of my day with you,” Jesse says. He leans in to kiss Hanzo’s lips once more before he downs the rest of his coffee. “Well, do you have any plans this evening?”

“I was thinking of trying to read one of the new books I purchased,” Hanzo says. Jesse gapes at him, and Hanzo can’t hide the smirk crossing his lips. “I suppose I could be persuaded to find other plans.”

“My place. Tonight. I want to make up for lost time,” Jesse says.

Hanzo hums, giving Jesse a slight nod. “I suppose that could work,” he says. “I may also have work to do. I imagine you have a deadline coming up?”

“I do, but if I work hard enough, will you still find time for me?” Jesse teases. “Tell you what, I’ll even give you a sneak peak at what’s to come.”

“That is rather tempting,” Hanzo says. “It’s a date.”

Jesse chuckles, standing and pulling Hanzo up too. “Guess we better get back to work, then,” he says. “My line’s always open if you need anything.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Hanzo says. He reaches out a hand to grab Jesse’s, and he’s surprised when Jesse wraps an arm around his waist. They move closer, Jesse kissing his cheek once before moving to kiss his lips again.

When they part, Hanzo exhales, and nearly whispers as quietly as he can, “I love you.”

Jesse smiles, leaning in once more to whisper, “I love you too,” against Hanzo’s lips before they kiss again.


	9. Epilogue

“What do you mean the work isn’t done yet?”

Hanzo sighs, but he puts a folder down in front of Genji with a smile. “The good news is they’ve hired me for the exterior renovations. It will be a first for my portfolio. This is the biggest project I have taken on thus far,” he explains.

Genji’s disappointment immediately dissipates as he flips open the folder. “Oh shit, Hanzo. This looks incredible!” he says. “When does it start?”

“They’re giving patrons a bit of a break since the interior renovations are nearing completion at the end of the month. Some of them were not appreciating the noise and want to have some peace and quiet.” Hanzo takes a drink of his coffee, gathering the folder when Genji hands it back to him. “This should keep me busy through the year.”

“Hmm… It’s a shame you have that whole, “no dating clients” thing going on. You’d be out of your relationship for a looong time,” Genji says, a slightly teasing tone to his voice.

“I suppose you’re right. But then again, I’m not dating my client,” Hanzo says.

The door to Night Owl opens, Jesse practically running in. He spots Hanzo and Genji and relaxes, walking towards them with a groan. “Sorry I’m late. Ashe wasn’t letting me get out without promising my next three deadlines,” he says.

“I’m dating an author,” Hanzo says, winking at Genji over his coffee cup. Genji laughs.

Jesse gives them both a confused look as he sits down. “What’d I miss, darlin’?” he asks.

“It was nothing, my love. Just a conversation between brothers,” Hanzo explains. He leans in as Jesse moves closer to him, the two of them kissing for a few seconds. Genji has been better about not making gagging noises when they kiss for too long, but when they part they see Genji is on the verge of teasing them. “I put in a coffee order for you, if that’s alright.”

“That’s more than alright, sweetheart. I need it if I plan on getting any work done tonight,” Jesse says. The barista appears with a coffee, placing it in front of Jesse. “Thank you.”

She waves and winks as she walks away from the table.

“So what’s the news you guys wanted to tell me?” Genji asks. “You said it’s pretty important.”

Jesse hums as he takes a sip of his coffee. Hanzo decides to speak up for him. “Things are progressing. We have been thinking about moving forward, possibly considering moving in together,” he explains.

Genji has a shocked look on his face again. “Really?”

“We move a little fast, I guess,” Jesse chuckles. “Though four months isn’t really fast to some people.”

“It’s faster than I was expecting,” Genji says.

“We are just in the planning phase for now,” Hanzo says. “My apartment lease will not be up for a few more months at the least.”

“And I have to see if I can get the place good looking for two people. It has space for two people, but we have a problem with our book collection,” Jesse says. He reaches for Hanzo’s hand over the table, and Hanzo laces their fingers immediately. “Gotta start writing more to afford a storage space.”

Genji claps, grinning at them both as he says, “This is great though! Congrats. You have my blessings!”

“You say that as if we just told you we were getting married,” Jesse jokes.

The months leading up to their decision had been a challenge for them both. Taking on more work while maintaining a balance was difficult, but they agreed to work on it together. And they were rather impressed with each other’s progress. Hanzo told Jesse one morning when they were waking up that he was ready to spend as much time together as possible. Jesse had agreed.

“I guess it only makes sense. Hanzo’s been spending so many nights at your place, I rarely see him in his own apartment,” Genji says.

Hanzo shrugs. “I suppose I have just found good company,” he says.

“And by that, he means he likes having someone there to warm the bed while he’s reading,” Jesse teases. He laughs as Hanzo rolls his eyes, but there is a smirk hidden behind his coffee cup.

“Sounds like something Hanzo would do,” Genji says. He’s about to say something else when his phone goes off, and he frowns. “It’s Zen, do you mind if I…?”

“Go ahead,” Hanzo says.

Genji answers the phone, leaving Jesse and Hanzo to continue conversation. The two of them just exchange knowing glances, especially when Genji’s eyes widen. When he hangs up, he looks at them both and blinks. “The… The cute guy stopped by the studio to see me. Zenyatta said he left his number for me.”

Jesse chuckles as Hanzo hums. “What was his name again?” he asks.

“Lúcio,” Genji says. He’s starting to blush, looking at his phone when it chimes again. “Zenyatta just forwarded me his number!”

“What was it you said to me about dating clients?” Hanzo asks, still holding his coffee to his lips.

Genji nearly sputters, glaring at Hanzo with poorly masked amusement. “I don’t want to hear it! You’re moving in with your client!” he laughs.

Jesse pulls their hands to his lips to kiss Hanzo’s knuckles. “I’m so happy about it too, babe. Thanks for not making me wait until the job is over.”

“I do not think I would have the resolve to wait that long,” Hanzo admits.

Genji is so caught off guard by the number that he ducks out of their outing early. Jesse and Hanzo watch him leave Night Owl each sporing a smile. “I suppose it’s my turn to watch him find someone,” Hanzo says.

“You think this guy is hiding any big secrets?” Jesse asks.

“I hope not. We already have a secret author. We do not need another.”

Jesse chuckles before grabbing their empty coffee cups. “Well, shall we head home? I think there’s a book waiting for your attention while I make dinner tonight,” he says.

“You don’t want me to cook so you can work on your manuscript?” Hanzo asks. “You told me you had a decent idea for that mystery novel.”

“Mmmm, maybe you can help me make dinner then. I could use some brainstorming and need your opinion.”

As they head up to the apartment, Hanzo can’t help thinking about how lucky he is once again. The thought comes to him more and more often as he spends time with Jesse, along with the ease of talking about the books he reads. He doesn’t feel the need to keep it a secret anymore, just like Jesse is more open about disclosing his writing career to some of their closest friends. He grabs Jesse’s hand when they are walking to the apartment, and Jesse turns to give him a smile.

“I love you, Jesse” Hanzo says. Moments like this are when he feels like saying it most, because a part of him still can’t believe it is reality. In a way, he finds it comforting, telling Jesse how he really feels in these moments alone.

Jesse understands. He touches Hanzo’s cheek with his other hand, kissing Hanzo’s lips before he says, “I love you too, Hanzo.”

And they kiss once, twice, three more times before they continue to walk to the apartment.


	10. Author's Note

Wow. Just, wow.

I wanted to post an author's note because finishing this project has left me full of emotions. I started it in the hopes of finding my writing spark again. I signed up just before starting my full time job. I was so determined, I made great progress in November during NaNoWriMo, and I was feeling great. And then 2019 started kicking my ass. I can't really say what happened, but my mental health took a crazy spin and by March, I was not okay. I had barely touched the project. It was half done. I wanted to give up on it so many times.

But I'm too stubborn. And my wonderful fiancé wasn't going to let me give up. He knows how much this means to me, and he certainly heard me cry enough about it to know giving up just wasn't an option my heart was into. He was super supportive as I marathoned through. So I have him to thank for this project getting done.

Also my artist partners, Sorachu and ishiyan, were incredibly understanding and supportive. We may not have communicated as much as we could have, but I really feel honored to have worked with them. Plus their art is AMAZING! Seriously, see the links in my notes because oh my gosh, I love them so much. Thank you both for all of your hard work, for helping me along the way, and for just being awesome. <3

Thank you to the mods of the McHanzo Big Bang! This kind of event was a first for me. I'm so glad they let me participate. See the tumblr blog for more fics and art by more incredibly talented people: http://mcbigbang.tumblr.com/

Thank you for reading. This is the first multichapter project I've finished for a fandom EVER. I never thought I'd see the day. Finishing this has me thinking of new ideas. I have more projects I want to work on. Overall, I just hope you enjoy this fic. I wanted to do more for this but wasn't able to because of time restraints, so don't be surprised if there's a drabble here or there in this AU. I love it that much. I may be going in and tweaking some formatting/correcting some mistakes down the line, because I just needed a break after posting. (Take care of yourselves! Self care is important!)

And again, Happy National Library Week! Please support your local libraries! As someone who's been working in one for 2.5 years, they have changed my life.

Thanks again!

-Ichi


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